Anti-Racism Action Group
Our Anti-Racism Action Group has now been established. Our members are:
Sharon is Nottingham Playhouse’s HR Manager.
Stacey has been a part of our Front of House Team for over 4 years. She also has more than ten years experience providing support to Nottinghamshire residents, including: supporting young people to volunteer at BTCV, supporting the voluntary sector at Nottingham CVS and working with adults with complex needs at Improving Lives. Stacey currently works in Economic Development at Nottingham City Council, helping young people with health conditions and disabilities into employment and training. Having visited Nottingham Playhouse since she was a child, Stacey has a keen interest in our continuing growth.
“My long term goal within this group is to show and convince those from minority backgrounds that a fulfilling career awaits them within this sector. I hope to inspire the next generation that there is scope for change and real prospects within this industry.
I am proud to be a part of this conversation towards changing minds and attitudes with this group. The greatest discovery of all time is that one can change their future by merely changing their attitude.”
Frances graduated with a First-Class Honours degree in English Literature in 2016. After graduating, she worked in small business marketing and joined Nottingham Playhouse initially as an Usher for the pantomime season. She joined the Administration department in 2017 and currently works as the Senior HR & Administration Officer.
“Diversity is fundamental to creating safe workspaces where everyone feels valued, accepted and able to reach their full potential. In a sector where progress has been far too slow, I am pleased to be part of a group and organisation committed to delivering sustainable, measurable change.”
Sairah is a specialist in audience development in the arts and is currently Marketing and Audience Development Manager at Z-arts, Manchester’s venue for children and families. She is very excited to continue her connection to the Midlands through her role as Chair of Nottingham Playhouse’s Anti-Racism Action Group, and is pleased that Nottingham Playhouse is taking positive steps to address issues around inequality within the sector.
Sairah has advised a number of organisations on marketing, developing and retaining audiences, diversification and community engagement, including the successful Coventry City of Culture bid, the University of Warwick, Home Manchester, Manchester Cultural Education Partnership and the Big Imaginations Network of 22 northern arts organisations.
Previously a West Midlands Member Representative for the Arts Marketing Association, Sairah has developed her skills working across numerous arts organisations and with several grassroots and community groups. Social justice, community engagement and equitable practice are very important to her, and she welcomes the chance to develop her knowledge as the chair of Anti-Racism Action Group.
Jennifer had a long career in local government finance and corporate services. She is now a trainer for accountancy students looking at how the public sector raises and spends resources, and how to provide essential services to improve people’s lives. Jennifer has lived and worked in diverse communities across England. Since moving to Nottingham in 2020 she has been proud to work as an Audience Assistant for the Playhouse.
Neena has many years experience as a board level Human Resources professional. Having worked with some of the UK’s most well known companies, she now runs her own HR and Coaching consultancy in Nottingham. She studied English at Loughborough University and is a regular theatre goer. Being passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion, she strongly believes that going to the theatre should be something which is accessible to and enjoyable for everyone. Neena joined Nottingham Playhouse’s Board in 2018.
“I look forward to welcoming a more diverse range of people to a workforce in which everyone’s differences and unique experiences are shared, valued and celebrated enabling them and the Playhouse to reach their full potential.”
Stephanie has 25 years experience of running theatres and a further 4 years experience of programming theatres. Her career includes stints as a Stage Manager in rep, an actress, theatre critic, court reporter and comedy club compere.
She has worked on all scales from a small-scale arts centre to a 1,500 seat SOLT venue. She has been programming dance since working at Sadler’s Wells under both Tim Tubbs and Nigel Hinds, and was a founder member of Dance Touring Partnership. She has run the Merlin Theatre, Frome, Blackpool Grand Theatre and, for the past 19 years, Nottingham Playhouse covering small-scale touring, middle-scale presenting and running a producing house. Nottingham Playhouse was a founder member of Eclipse Theatre Consortium and Ramps on the Moon under Stephanie’s leadership.
She is Vice President of UK Theatre, Vice Chair of Parents and Carers in Performing Arts and, at a local level, she sits on the ONE Nottingham Board and is an Ambassador for Inspiring Future Theatre.
My name is Katie Taylor and I started working at the Playhouse in 2017. I love working at the Playhouse, it’s a great place to work and my current roles include usher, stage door keeper and bar staff. I’m very excited to become a member of the Anti Racism Action Group and I look forward to getting stuck in and becoming actively involved!
Amanda Whittington is one of the most performed playwrights in the UK. She has written around 40 original plays for theatre and audio drama, including Be My Baby, The Thrill of Love, Kiss Me Quickstep, Mighty Atoms, Atalanta Forever, Amateur Girl, Ladies Day and Ladies Unleashed. Amanda recently wrote the book for Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical which tours the UK and Canada in 2022-23. Her work for BBC Radio 4 includes the award-winning series D for Dexter, The Nine Days Queen, The Dock Nuremberg and The Archers.
www.amandawhittington.com
October 24 Update
We have now had two meetings with our new Chair, Jenny Williams. The agenda has been overhauled to create equal space for action-led items and discussion. The group reflected upon the impact of the recent riots in the UK, both personally and within the context of the Playhouse as a workplace and community space. We also discussed the co-production of A Raisin in the Sun which arrives at the theatre in November. We are extending future meetings to allow more time.
July 2024 Update
We are delighted that Jenny Williams BEM has been appointed as our new Chair. Jenny has had numerous senior positions in the cultural sector including CEO & Creative Director for Revoluton Arts; Head of Diversity for Arts Council England; Education Director, The Kiln (formerly The Tricycle); Fundraiser English Touring Opera; as well as Arts Development Lead for two Local Authorities. You can find out more about Jenny here.
January 2024 Update
The Diversity in the Workforce Working Group has now merged with the Anti Racism Action Group. In the first meeting, the new Terms of Reference were discussed and agreed. The group will meet quarterly to allow more time between meetings for actions to be completed. Both groups reported on their recent activity and members discussed their desires for the new group. We are in the process of selecting a new Chair.
November 2023 Update
Zero Tolerance signage wording has been agreed by the group and posters have been displayed at the Box Office, in the foyers and by the bars.
The wording on the Reporting Racism Mechanism has been updated to clarify the procedure once a report has been logged.
Bystander and Conflict Resolution training is to be implemented for public facing staff members. More Anti Racism training will be delivered. The use of ‘dark’ in Marketing materials was discussed.
It has been decided that ARAG will merge with the Diversity in the Workforce Working Group in 2024. This is due to increasingly overlapping content and to accelerate the impact of the work. Members of both groups will be invited to join the new group.
May 2023 Update
The group debated the previous guideline that all interview panels at the Playhouse should consist of at least 50% people of colour. It was concluded that this can lead to tokenism, intimidatingly large panels and a panel which isn’t knowledgeable enough about the specific role. In agreement with the Diversity in the Workforce Working Group, it has been decided to remove this guideline, allowing those appointing panels to apply common sense instead, whilst still impressing the importance of representation amongst panellists.
The Head of Marketing gave a presentation on how marketing campaigns are created and delivered. The group interrogated the process and made suggestions for how to reach a wider audience.
The group discussed increased issues with audience behaviour in theatres and how to implement a zero tolerance approach at the Playhouse.
February 2023 Update
We are delighted to welcome several new members to the group, including representation from public facing roles such as Audience Assistants and Stage Door Keepers. Existing members have completed a survey on ARAG activity to help evaluate the group’s progress.
Following ARAG’s recommendation, the Playhouse Participation department has written a guiding principles document for the wraparound activities which accompany some onstage productions. ARAG have fed back on the draft.
ARAG has contributed to a new document which will be sent to all freelancers working with the Playhouse, outlining our ethos and expectations. It is also intended to begin a dialogue, encourages freelancers to ask questions and outlines resources available.
An update on any activity via the Reporting Racism Mechanism has been added as a standing agenda item.
September 2022 Update
We have continued to roll out Anti-Racism training across the organisation, provided by Included. This has now been extended beyond the Senior Management Team and Board Members to all Playhouse employees.
On the recommendation of ARAG, we have changed how we monitor and record the demographic of our audience. Going forward, this will be captured via surveys only, allowing audiences to self-define.
ARAG have recommended that the documents which are currently sent to Freelance Directors and Casting Directors, outlining the ethos and values of the Playhouse, be expanded and sent to all Freelancers working at the theatre.
The group met with the Director of Participation to discuss the mechanics of wraparound participatory activities that accompany some productions. One recommendation is to create a set of guidelines which outline the aims for these activities, how we decide which productions we focus on and what the activities should be, including who is involved in these decisions.
A Refugee Awareness Training session was run for Playhouse staff.
July 2022 Update
ARAG and the Playhouse’s Diversity in the Workforce Working Group held their first joint meeting in May. They updated each other on their work, shared accomplishments and work still to do, and agreed to meet again in the autumn.
The Senior Management Team and all Board Members have now completed anti-racism training. This was provided by Included and feedback has been very positive.
The group has been proposing ways in which the Playhouse can better monitor the diversity of its audience, in ways that aren’t open to assumption and unconscious bias.
Members have also fed into the documents which freelance artists receive when engaged by the Playhouse, designed to ensure that the values and ethos of the organisation are made clear and signed up to.
April 2022 Update
Sandeep Mahal updated the group on her new role as Leadership Associate at the Royal Shakespeare Company.
The new Reporting Racism Mechanism is now live on the Playhouse website here. See the January 2022 update for more information.
We are organising a joint meeting between ARAG and the Playhouse’s Diversity in the Workforce Working Group.
The Playhouse Senior Management Team and the Board of Trustees are undergoing Anti-Racism training with Included.
January 2022 Update
The group has continued to complete research based on the workstreams mentioned in the last update.
They have also signed off a new Reporting Racism Mechanism. This is for both employees of the Playhouse and the public, and those reporting can choose to do so anonymously if they wish. The reports are received by a group consisting of Sairah Rehman (Chair of ARAG), Natalie Gasson (Chair of the Diversity in the Workplace Working Group) and Neena Sharma (Nottingham Playhouse trustee and HR specialist). This group decides on an appropriate course of action, keeping the person reporting fully updated and involved.
ARAG members have also voted to extend their membership of the group through to Summer 2022.
October 2021 Update
Members have been completing research based on their workstreams (Community Engagement/ Ethos, Culture, Learning and Development/ Sector Strategy and Engagement) and feeding back to the group.
An advisory document for reporting instances of racism is being agreed.
Extending the first year of activity from Jan 22 to Mar 22 has been proposed, to acknowledge slower working processes due to the pandemic.
A short mission statement for ARAG has been written by members:
The goal of the ARAG is to ensure Nottingham Playhouse is an actively anti-racist organisation. We are doing this by auditing the Playhouse’s current policies and strategies; consulting with a representative range of stakeholders; researching and evaluating best practice both within – and external – to the theatre sector. This work feeds in to our ultimate action: crafting and applying a set of new actively anti-racism policies that are bespoke the needs of organisation; the staff, freelancers, audiences the Playhouse engages with; and the wider communities the organisation seeks to serve. We believe in Nottingham Playhouse being a safe and welcoming space for all. Our progress is regularly reported on the Playhouse website.
May 2021 Update
The group has received Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity training.
The Anti-Racism action plan has been divided into workstreams with subgroups leading on each stream.
They have also begun to interrogate some of the existing HR polices in place at the Playhouse, such as Anti-Harassment, Bullying and Whistle-Blowing, and information that new employees receive.
As planned, the group have now moved from meeting every three weeks to meeting every six weeks, to allow for more work to occur between meetings.
We will continue to update this page with the group’s development.
March 2021 Update
This new working group is made up of Nottingham Playhouse staff and trustees alongside co-opted members, who were recruited through an open process.
The purpose of the group is:
To look at the wider culture and environment at Nottingham Playhouse, and to advise the Executive team and Board of Trustees on matters of diversity, inclusion and equality, with the ultimate aim of ensuring that Nottingham Playhouse is a safe and fully representative organisation, which reflects the full breadth and richness of diversity within our community.
In the first few meetings, the group discussed and voted on the name of the group, appointed Chair Sairah Rehman, agreed the group’s Terms of Reference and have debated and amended the Anti-Racism Action Plan.
The Anti-Racism Action Group will initially run for one year (until Jan 2022) at which point the activity will be reviewed and assessed.
Report a Racist Incident
Nottingham Playhouse does not tolerate any form of racial abuse, including verbal or physical, conscious or unconscious. We are committed to keep listening and to engage in meaningful debate in order to make real and lasting changes.
Report an incident here