Our Commitment to Change

We stand to denounce racism in all its forms

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*Update: Since this page was created, we have worked with many organisations and people to setup Culture Against Racism. Please visit the website to see what we’ve all been up to.

We, the undersigned from the cultural sector of the North East, declare that silence is not ok and silence is seen as complicity. Racism has no place in a just and humane society.

Whilst we cannot undo pain and neglect, we are calling on all of us in the arts, cultural, heritage sectors; professional and voluntary to work together to address racism and its deep roots. We must listen, have conversations and most importantly act, we know we need to do better. Everyone is part of the solution - artists, staff, trustees, partners, promoters, audiences and communities.

We want to tackle this together in sharing better understanding and practices. We stand united to bring about change in our thinking and actions as a collective of organisations and individuals.

In the weeks and months to come we will collectively act to build on this statement with concrete steps and actions to demonstrate our commitment to bringing about real change. We ask you to stand with us.

We contacted as many organisations and individuals we could in a short space of time.

If you would like to join us in these future conversations please contact any of the points of contacts listed below:

Alphabetti Theatre
Signee: Ali Pritchard, Artistic/Executive Director
Contact: Ali Pritchard, ali@alphabettitheatre.co.uk

The Angelou Centre
Signee: Rosie Lewis, Deputy Director & VAWG Services Manager

ARC Stockton
Signee: Annalbel Turpin
Contact: Annabel.Turpin@arconline.co.uk

Assembly Rooms Theatre Durham
Signee: Kate Barton
Contact: theatre.manager@durham.ac.uk

BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art
Signee: Sarah Munro, Director
Contact: Caroline Murphy, carolinem@balticmill.com

Beverley Prevatt Goldstein
Contact: beverleyprevattgoldstein@gmail.com

Camisado Club
Signee: Caroline Liversidge, Camisado Club
Contact: info@camisadoclub.co.uk

Centre for Life, Newcastle
Signee: Linda Conlon
Contact: Louise Richardson, louise.richardson@life.org.uk

Company of Others
Signee: Nadia Iftkhar, Artistic Director & CEO
Contact: Nadia Iftkhar, nadia@companyofothers.org.uk

Curious Arts
Signee: Phil Douglas, Director
Contact: Ellie Puckering, ellie@curiousarts.org.uk

Curious Monkey
Signee: Amy Golding
Contact: amy@curiousmonkeytheatre.com

Creative Seed
Contact: Sandy and Garner Harris, Founding Directors

Dance City
Signee: Phil Douglas
Contact: Phil Douglas, phil.douglas@dancecity.co.uk

Degna Stone
Poet and editor

Gateway Studio CIO
Signee: Martin Hylton, Artistic Director/CEO
Contact: Martin Hylton, martin.hylton@gatewaystudio.org

GemArts
Signee: Vikas Kumar MBE, Director
Contact: Vikas Kumar, vikas@gemarts.org

Gobscure
Signee: Sean Burn
Contact: gobscure@posteo.net

Harambee Pasadia CIC
Signee: Hannabiell Sanders
Contact: Hannabiell Sanders, harambeepasadia@gmail.com

Kitchen Zoo
Signee: Bob Nicholson
Contact: info.kitchenzoo@gmail.com

Ladies of Midnight Blue
Signee: Yilis Suriel
Contact: Yilis Suriel, yilissuriel@gmail.com

The Letter Room
Signees: Meghan Doyle and Stan Hodgson, Co-Artistic Directors
Contact: info@theletterroomtheatre.co.uk

Little Cog
Signee: Vici Wreford-Sinnott, Artistic Director
Contact: viciws1@yahoo.co.uk

Live Theatre
Signee: Jim Beirne, Chief Executive
Contact: joe@live.org.uk

The NewBridge Project
Signee: Rebecca Huggan, Director
Contact: r.huggan@thenewbridgeproject.com

New Writing North
Claire Malcolm, Chief Executive
Contact: Claire Malcolm, office@newwritingnorth.com

Newcastle City Council Arts Team
Signee: Cllr Ged Bell (Cabinet Member for Culture)
Contact: Jim Mawdsley, Arts and Culture Senior Advisor, Jim.Mawdsley@newcastle.gov.uk

Newcastle University
Signee: Professor Julie Sanders, Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Contact: Julie.sanders@ncl.ac.uk

Northern Roots
Signee: Adam Collerton, Director
Contact: adam@northern-roots.org.uk

Northern Stage
Signee: Kate Denby, Executive Director

Contact: Mark Calvert, MCalvert@northernstage.co.uk

OGRE Studio
Signee: Steven Walker, Creative Director

Contact: hello@ogre.studio

Open Clasp
Signees: Joint Chief Executives Catrina McHugh MBE / Ellie Turner
Contacts: catrina@openclasp.org.ukellie@openclasp.org.uk

Origin Moko Jumbies
Signee: Alan Vaughan
Contact: alanpvaughan@gmail.com

Sage Gateshead
Signee: Abigail Pogson, Director
Contact: Wendy Smith, wendy.smith@sagegateshead.com

Sangini
Signee: Padma Rao

Seven Stories
Signee: John Coburn
Contact: Amanda Beckham, amanda.beckham@sevenstories.org.uk

Skimstone Arts
Signee: Claire Webster-Saaramets, Director
Contact: Claire Webster-Saaramets, claire@skimstone.org.uk

Susan Ashley
AHRC Researcher
Contact: susan.ashley@northumbria.ac.uk

Newcastle Theatre Royal
Signee: Philip Bernays, Chief Executive

Prometheus Foundation CIC
Contact: Dot Owston

Tyneside Cinema
Signee: Holli Keeble, Chief Executive Officer
Contact: Holli Keeble, Holli.Keeble@tynesidecinema.co.uk

Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums
Signee: Iain Watson, Director
Contact: Bill Griffiths, bill.griffiths@twmuseums.org.uk

Tyne and Wear Cultural Freelancers
Signee: Leila d’Aronville
Contact: Leila d’Aronville, Leila.daronville@gmail.com

Unfolding Theatre
Signees: Michael Barrass, Alex Elliott, Garry Lydon, Annie Rigby and Luca Rutherford
Contact: annie@unfoldingtheatre.co.uk

VAMOS!
Signee: Nikolas Barrera
Contact: nikolasbarrera@gmail.com

Voices of Virtue Gospel Choir
Signees: Mathapelo Imarhiagbe, Chinyere Igun, Glen Smiley