Image credit: Paul Ayre This article, written by Kevin Osborne, is also published on his LinkedIn page. Arts Council England (ACE)’s new National Portfolio investment 2023-26 will increase funding to racially diverse-led organisations from 2.4% to 8.4% (£37.67m per annum). If it materialises, this would be a meaningful step towards meeting its own commitment to allocate
Image credit: Paul Ayre This article, written by Kevin Osborne, is also published on his LinkedIn page. The war in Ukraine, the cost-of-living crisis, the Northern Ireland protocol, levelling up and partygate have pushed Black Lives Matter from the headlines. And the priority given to underlying racial inequalities – in education, criminal justice and the arts
Image credit: Paul Ayre This article, written by Kevin Osborne, is also published on his LinkedIn page. How will Arts Council England square the circle of delivering increased funding to regions outside London while also meeting its commitment to increase funding to Black-led* organisations? asks Kevin Osborne. This commitment was made in the wake of Covid
Image credit: Paul Ayre This article, written by Kevin Osborne, is also published on his LinkedIn page. The existential question of race inequity demands new solutions. Kevin Osborne and Genevieve Maitland Hudson explore the potential of impact investment. Not every business owner in the UK is in the same position today. If you’re a white entrepreneur your access to
I spent a lot of last year talking about money and power in my various articles for MeWe and Create Equity, exploring the barriers to racial diversity, equity and inclusion in the creative industries. Strangely, I feel slightly uncomfortable about it. I’m self-conscious challenging those with more power than me, while wanting more for myself.
Image credit: Paul Ayre This article, written by Kevin Osborne, was first published in Arts Professional. Funding ‘criteria’ tell you what a funder will or won’t support, but organisational ‘constraints’ ultimately determine what gets funded, says Kevin Osborne. There are written rules when applying for arts funding: set criteria which outline the funder’s priorities, the activities
Image credit: Paul Ayre This article, written by Kevin Osborne, was first published in Arts Professional. A new strand of political correctness is reshaping conversations on race: the idea of ‘lived experience’ driving the debate. While the intention is good, Kevin Osborne argues it throws up new questions. There is a new belief that any
Image credit: Paul Ayre This article, written by Kevin Osborne, was first published in Arts Professional. A reluctance to share opinions openly is a significant block to achieving racial equity. But as Kevin Osborne argues, without understanding prevailing attitudes to racial inequity we are unlikely to reach effective solutions. For the last 12 months I have been
Image credit: Paul Ayre This article, written by Kevin Osborne, was first published in Arts Professional. The fight for racially equitable funding in the creative industries is what drove Kevin Osborne to set up Create Equity. Here he argues the need for Black and White leaders to work together to make it happen. The question of whether increased
This article, written by Kevin Osborne, was first published in Arts Professional. 1. The challenge Setting up projects which develop BAME creative businesses – through which the founders can potentially generate significant financial reward – has been at the heart of my life’s work. To date I have supported thousands of artists and entrepreneurs,