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
Anna Robinson
Sceneographer
Contact: anna.fkrobinson@gmail.com
ARC Stockton
Signee: Annabel Turpin
Contact: Annabel.Turpin@arconline.co.uk
Arts&Heritage
Stephanie Allen, Executive Director
Contact: info@artsandheritage.org.uk
Assembly Rooms Theatre Durham
Signee: Kate Barton
Contact: theatre.manager@durham.ac.uk
balletLORENT
Signee: Lic Lorent
Contact: liv@balletlorent.com
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art
Signee: Sarah Munro, Director
Contact: Caroline Murphy, carolinem@balticmill.com
Ben Dickenson
Contact: benji.dickenson@gmail.com
Executive Producer, City of Dreams / Associate Literary Producer Alphabetti
Beverley Prevatt Goldstein
Signee: Beverley Prevatt Goldstein
Contact: beverleyprevattgoldstein@gmail.com
Brash
Signee: Bethan Kitchen, Artistic Director
Cpontact: bethan@brash-events.co.uk
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
Coracle Productions
Signee: Matt Jamie, Artistic Director Contact: Coracletheatre@gmail.com
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
D6 Culture in Transit
Clymene Christoforou, Director
Dance City
Signee: Phil Douglas
Contact: Phil Douglas, phil.douglas@dancecity.co.uk
Degna Stone
Poet and editor
Disconsortia
Signee: Lisette Auton, Co-founding Member
Contact: disconsortia@gmail.com
Eliot Smith Dance (ESD
Signee: Eliot Smith, Artistic Director
Contact: eliot@eliotsmithdance.com
Ednie Wilson
Gateshead
Gateway Studio CIO
Signee: Martin Hylton, Artistic Director/CEO
Contact: Martin Hylton, martin.hylton@gatewaystudioproject.co.uk
GemArts
Signee: Vikas Kumar MBE, Director
Contact: Vikas Kumar, vikas@gemarts.org
Gobscure
Signee: Sean Burn
Contact: gobscure@posteo.net
Gosforth Civic Theatre
Contact: info@gosforthcivictheatre.co.uk
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: littlecog@rocketmail.com
Live Theatre
Signee: Jim Beirne, Chief Executive
Contact: joe@live.org.uk
Luxi
Signee: Caroline Pearce
Contact: cp@luxicreative.co.uk
Melody Sproates
Artist/Performer
Contact: melodysproates@hotmail.com
Mortal Fools
Signee: Kiz Crosbie, Artistic Director/CEO
Contact: kiz@mortalfools.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
Newcastles of the World
Signee: David Faulkner
Contact: newcastlesoftheworld@gmail.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 Theatre Royal
Signee: Philip Bernays, Chief Executive
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
Contact: Steven Walker, Creative Director
Open Clasp
Signees: Joint Chief Executives Catrina McHugh MBE / Ellie Turner
Contacts: catrina@openclasp.org.uk, ellie@openclasp.org.uk
Origin Moko Jumbies
Signee: Alan Vaughan
Contact: alanpvaughan@gmail.com
Prometheus Foundation CIC
Contact: Dot Owston
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
Slugtown
Signees: Max Lee and Matt Antoniak, Co-directors
Summer Streets Festival
Signee: Ross Millard
Contact: hello@summerstreetsfestival.com
Streetwise Young People’s Project
Signee: Mandy Coppin (Taylor)
Sunderland Culture
Signee: Graeme Thompson
Contact: graeme.thompson@sunderland.ac.uk
Sunderland Music Hub
Signee: Lizzie Nixon
Contact: sunderland.music@togetherforchildren.org.uk
Susan Ashley
AHRC Researcher
Contact: susan.ashley@northumbria.ac.uk
Theatre Hullabaloo
Signee: Miranda Thain, CEO & Artistic Producer
Contact: mirandathain@theatrehullabaloo.org.uk
Dr. Tina Gharavi
Creative Director, Bridge+Tunnel
Senior Lecturer in English: Digital Media/Film, Newcastle University
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
Waka Waka Africa North East
Signee: David Fualkner
Contact: wakawakaafricanortheast@sky.com
We Make Culture CIC
Signee: Laura Brewis, Project Director
Contact: laura@wemakeculture.co.uk