Read our Anti-racism Statement and Action Plan
Modern Art Oxford is committed to progressing its work as an actively anti-racist organisation. We recognise our responsibility and accountability as a public cultural institution to combat racism in a society where it is deeply embedded.
This pledge forms part of our wider commitment to those who experience discrimination, inequality and diminished opportunities in today’s society. There are many forms of exclusion and discrimination and we acknowledge the complex nature of prejudice that specific individuals face, including in relation to race, class, gender, sexuality and disability. We recognise that different community groups experience different types of racial prejudice and discrimination and that intersectional experience is highly individualised. Modern Art Oxford already has an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy and action plan that includes these protected characteristics. However, this ongoing commitment to sustained action in alignment with Black Lives Matter activism and galvanised into a global movement by the murder of George Floyd in 2020, seeks to address racism in particular.
For Modern Art Oxford, this began with recognising and the ongoing acknowledgement of the systemic racism within our own organisation, in our sector and in society at large. We continue to think critically about all aspects of our work as a public institution, about our accountability and privilege, and our agency as an ally. We are continuing to consult with our staff, volunteers, trustees and the communities we serve, in order to support a shift in organisational culture and practices and contribute to wider long-term change in our sector and society. We have and will continue to make anti-racist action an organisational priority and allocate time and resources to addressing systemic racism as a feature of our business planning and strategic objectives.
Our ongoing work in tackling racism includes the following areas of action:
CULTURE: To enforce a zero tolerance policy towards racism and discriminatory behaviour within Modern Art Oxford, to foster an environment of awareness in relation to racial equality and create a culture of challenge.
LEARNING: To provide mandatory anti-racism training to trustees, staff and volunteers to tackle biased and exclusive attitudes and behaviour. To provide opportunities for everyone at Modern Art Oxford to continue their education, critical reflection and exchange in relation to anti-racism and to enable staff to dedicate time within working hours to do this.
PROCESSES: We will continue to listen to our communities, staff and team to review working processes in order to achieve long-term organisational change. We will hold quarterly meetings to review progress and publish an annual report of our progress on our website.
LANGUAGE: We acknowledge that language evolves and we will listen and learn from diverse voices and perspectives to inform our use of language.
PROGRAMMING: We will continue to ensure that our artistic programme foregrounds the presence and influence of artists from diverse backgrounds including Global Majority artists, and that exhibitions and projects are led by appropriate, culturally sensitive and expert curation, including external specialists as necessary.
REPRESENTATION: We will ensure that our website, social media and all communications actively promote and celebrate the diversity of contemporary society in the life of the organisation.
RECRUITMENT: We have adopted best practice inclusive recruitment practices in order to strengthen the diversity of the team including our volunteers, to align our team with local demographics.
BUSINESS CONTRACTS: We will seek opportunities wherever possible to work with Globally Majority-led businesses through our new contracts and to ensure our procurement processes include questions about equal opportunities within their workforces.
RESOURCES: We will work with our communities to explore how our resources – our facilities, spaces, expertise and influence – could be made more available to Global Majority practitioners and how we can learn from our working with them.
GOVERNANCE: We will strengthen the influence of Global Majority communities and stakeholders in governance and organisational processes and culture. We will ensure our Board of Trustees is representative of the communities we serve. We will continue to report routinely to the Board on anti-racism work as part of our EDI Action Plan.
FUNDRAISING: We will embed our ethical policy to ensure that our funders, sponsors and stakeholders are aligned to the anti-racist actions and values in this plan.
SECTORAL LEADERSHIP: We will continue to work actively through our local, regional and national networks to dismantle systemic racism in the cultural sector.
This statement was first published in 2021 and has been updated annually since, with the latest update happening in August 2025.
Please note: the language used to describe racism and the people who experience it is constantly evolving and we will review the language we use in this statement and action plan periodically, following best practice and listening to communities and organisations.
Modern Art Oxford is an active member of the Oxford Anti-Racism Cultural Alliance, working to eradicate systemic racism in the arts and cultural sector in Oxford: https://oxcultureantiracism.com/