Questions to the Mayor of London – answered at on 17 September 2020.
Supporting our arts and creative sector moving forward will be essential. Covid-19 has had such a huge impact on the sector and those who work in it. As London looks to revive and re-build its arts and cultural sector can you explain how you will be working to improve and enhance BAME representation within the sector in London?
I am funding programmes to help a number of programmes to open up the culture sector to people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds. Film London’s Equal Access Network is working with employers like Sony and HBO to diversify the film industry; Ensemble, run by Games London shines a spotlight on BAME games talent; and NEWGEN, by British Fashion Council, gives emerging fashion designers, 45 per cent from BAME backgrounds, vital access to buyers.
My London Borough of Culture in Brent, has awarded £500,000 in small grants to artists and creatives in the borough, 33 per cent from a BAME background and which is also supporting over 150 young people on a cultural leadership programme, 74 per cent from a BAME background.
The first of my Creative Enterprise Zones ESF skills programmes has started in Tottenham, and I am funding a £2m creative sector skills programme with European Social Funds to tackle under-representation. In both, at least 50 per cent of participants will be creative talent from a BAME background. We will continue to support bold interventions that improve representation across the arts and creative sector.