With The Stage generally having a couple of articles each week rightfully highlighting inequalities in The Arts, we thought we’d find out about the publication’s own staffing breakdown. We also decided to find out the same information from leading theatre companies and a couple of independent theatres. Alongside this, we were interested in hearing about the diversity make up of the Critics’ Circle.
Each organisation was contacted at varying times in the last two months, with the most recent having had at least fifteen working days to reply. They were all asked broadly the same question of could they provide us with some diversity statistics about their staff or members. Theatre companies were asked, if possible, to provide this broken down in the form of board/senior management, other full time staff and theatre based staff. The Stage was asked for information on editorial/reporting staff, reviewers and all staff.
The Stage was contacted via a direct email to the editor. The Critics’ Circle was contacted via an email to the General Secretary. All other organisations were contacted via the ‘general enquiry’ email address on their websites.
While we weren’t expecting to get information from everyone, the response (or complete lack of in most cases), was disappointing to say the least. As staff are not obliged to complete ‘monitoring’ surveys we understand that information held by their employers may not be a completely accurate reflection, but this doesn’t explain why most chose to remain completely silent.
THE STAGE
Regularly leads with articles on the lack of diversity in the industry:
NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF OUR ENQUIRY – NO RESPONSE
THE CRITICS’ CIRCLE
This century old organisation has 490 members covering six key areas of The Arts:
WE RECEIVED A TIMELY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO OUR ENQUIRY STATING THEY COULD PROVIDE A BREAKDOWN, HOWEVER THEY WORRYING WENT ON TO ASK:
“WHAT DOES BAME STAND FOR?”
We responded to their question and have since had:
NO FURTHER RESPONSE
DELFONT MACKINTOSH THEATRES
Owned and led by Sir Cameron Mackintosh and currently operating eight London theatres:
NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF OUR ENQUIRY – NO RESPONSE
REALLY USEFUL THEATRES
Currently owns and manages six London theatres and a seventh in association with Nederlander. A year ago owner Lord Lloyd-Webber warned of a ‘diversity crisis’ in the industry and that it was ‘hideously white’. This followed a report commissioned by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation to explore the absence of BAME people in theatre. Given this, we expected a swift response from the organisation perhaps at least pointing us towards this report:
NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF OUR ENQUIRY – NO RESPONSE
NIMAX THEATRES
Led by Nica Burns OBE, Nimax currently owns and operates six London theatres with a seventh brand new venue currently being constructed:
NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF OUR ENQUIRY – NO RESPONSE
ATG – AMBASSADOR THEATRE GROUP
With almost forty venues in the UK, including around a dozen in central London, ATG was the biggest organisation contacted. Now headed by Mark Cornell, ATG employs over 3000 staff:
AFTER AN AUTOMATED RESPONSE TO OUR EMAIL STATING THEY WOULD RESPOND ‘AS SOON AS POSSIBLE’ – NO FURTHER RESPONSE RECEIVED
NEDERLANDER THEATRES
Operates two venues and a third with RUT:
NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF OUR ENQUIRY – NO RESPONSE
THE NATIONAL THEATRE
Surely this institution would be keen to respond:
AFTER AN AUTOMATED RESPONSE TO OUR EMAIL STATING THEY WOULD RESPOND ‘WITHIN 48 HOURS’ – NO FURTHER RESPONSE RECEIVED
LEICESTER SQUARE THEATRE
Perhaps this smaller venue with less staff would find it easier to respond:
NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF OUR ENQUIRY – NO RESPONSE
THE BRIDGE THEATRE
This brand new venue with its new staff would surely reflect diversity in its recruitment and be willing to share:
WE RECEIVED A TIMELY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO OUR ENQUIRY ASKING WHAT THE INFORMATION WAS NEEDED FOR. WE RESPONDED AND SINCE THEN:
NO FURTHER RESPONSE
So out of ten organisations contacted, only two replied to our enquiry but even those did not subsequently provide any information. This asks the simple question, ‘why?’ …
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