Access and accessibility
Outside (and sometimes inside) their homes, minority communities often live in an exhausting state of masking, adaption, and internalised frustration – just to survive in a world that hasn’t been built for them. What many seek, or would welcome, is an external space where they can truly feel at home – a luxury the majority has enjoyed for centuries. It’s about being truly represented and respected, without the pressure or discomfort of “social acceptability.”
Along with the consideration of content and curation, inclusivity also extends to how art spaces operate, ensuring that people of all backgrounds and abilities can access and engage with art comfortably and meaningfully. True inclusivity is about breaking down physical, social, and financial barriers, making these spaces welcoming and accessible to everyone.
Professional accessibility : Integrating the community
To achieve lasting change, diversity in the workforce extends beyond simply meeting quotas. While bringing underrepresented voices into panels, curatorial teams, and artistic roles is an invaluable starting point, developing inclusive work environments that nurture and support diverse career growth is equally important. It is this that ensures change endures past short-term trends or targets. Organisations like Creative Access and Arts Emergency play pivotal roles in this – providing mentorship, internships, and financial support.
Support for our freelancers – integral to the infrastructure of this industry – is also key, with initiatives such as the Arts Council England’s Developing Your Creative Practice fund supporting artists and creative professionals to overcome barriers and achieving their career goals.
Social accessibility : Reaching the community
One of the central barriers to accessibility is cost. While in the UK we are fortunate to have free access to public galleries and museums, much of the content created for diverse audiences is expensive to produce and often comes at a price – ironically alienating the very communities these initiatives aim to serve.
Galleries are increasingly addressing this by offering discounts for disabled groups, free carers’ tickets, and initiatives like ‘Pay What You Can’ events. These efforts are essential in making art more accessible, but they don’t solve every challenge.
Beyond these efforts, projects that actively bring art into the heart of communities form a key entry point. These initiatives make art more than just something to observe in galleries – they weave it into the fabric of daily life, developing connection and inclusivity at a grassroots level.
Public art projects like The Line Sculpture Trail, and the 2022 Hackney Windrush Commissions, featuring works by Turner Prize winner Veronica Ryan and sculptor Thomas J Price, provide an excellent model. In the latter, Price crafted two towering figures, reaching heights of 8.7ft and 9ft. Based on 3D images of over 30 Hackney residents with a personal connection to Windrush, these sculptures have created unique, permanent public representations of people often overlooked.
Such public memorialising and celebration of the Windrush Generation can serve as source of pride within the community, and education to others, offering a unique blend of narrative and art that would have otherwise gone unexperienced.
