ALRA’s Action Plan Against Racism: Update

24th June 2020

Joining the Dots – Listening, Learning, Changing

 

Institutional and Individual Training

In order to set expectations of staff and students at ALRA we undertake to:

  • Engage external agencies specialising in diversity training who will be employed to work with staff and students intensively, focusing on use of language, micro-aggressions, unconscious bias and other behaviors that cause oppression
  • Provide the ALRA community with equality and diversity training beginning with a focus on race, from induction and then on a regular basis consistently throughout the academic year
  • When showcasing students’ talents to industry in public performances, and for in-house projects while training, the academic team undertake to challenge stereotypical casting and industry demands while consulting with students during the casting process in order maximize the exposure of individual talent. (Edit 2)

When will this happen?

From July 2020

Who is accountable?

Trustees and Vice Principal (Curriculum) (Edit 1)

 

Audit

An external audit will be commissioned to ensure best practice going forward. The ways in which we will achieve this are by:

  • Employing external auditors to review all policies and procedures, reflect on historic failings and then report these findings with recommendations to the board
  • Considering each module on each programme to highlight key areas of necessary change before the next validation process

The results of these audits will be published on our website following completion.

When will this happen?

To recruit by September 2020 and aim to complete by January 2021

Who is accountable?

Trustees and Vice Principal (Curriculum)

 

Recruitment

The recruitment of both staff and students will meet the following aims:

  • To represent diverse sectors of ALRA’s community in any new faculty appointments going forward with oversight from the board
  • To provide evidence of substantial work undertaken in recruiting people of colour to new appointments
  • To work with external agencies (such as Boundless Talent) to recruit more diverse cohorts
  • To seek philanthropic support to nurture those with financial hardship
  • To recruit a part-time Welfare Officer who will be responsible for embedding wellbeing into our curriculum including issues relating to identity and race
  • To increase contracted hours for the Chair of the Global Majority Working Group at ALRA South and appoint a second chair for this group at ALRA North

When will this happen?

Immediately

Who is accountable?

Principal

 

Voices

The student voice will continue to be woven into the day to day running of ALRA through these commitments:

  • We commit to working with our Global Majority Working Group at board level to hold the institution to account
  • We commit to using the Global Majority Working Group Charter of Values (below) to guide all strategic decisions made at ALRA
  • We will commit to working with the whole student and staff body to integrate values of diversity and inclusion within all ALRA activity
  • We commit to establishing a graduate advisory panel

When will this happen?

Immediately

Who is accountable?

Trustees

 

Transparency

The findings of the external review and any resulting changes to policies, procedures and curriculum will be published on the ALRA website.

One of the panel members will be a specialist in actor training and diversity within curriculum. (Edit 3)

Statistics related to complaints at ALRA around protected characteristics will be published going forward and historically from 2017.

The Academic Registrar will ensure that all complaints, disciplinary procedures and other changes are applied fairly and rigorously, and that these are demonstrated to the board.

Formally recognised external organisations will be made welcome to observe classes at ALRA as part of a process to steer development and check that the teaching and student experience is nondiscriminatory. (Edit 4)

When will this happen?

September 2020

Who is accountable?

Academic Registrar

 

Global Majority Working Group Charter of Values at ALRA

  • Every student has the right to be visible in every aspect of their culture, class and identity
  • All staff and students have regular diversity training
  • All staff and students foster a culture of openness to criticism on issues around race, gender, sexuality, class and other protected characteristics
  • Safe and open spaces are timetabled in the curriculum to expand the views of the ALRA community
  • Staff have regular conversations with students about race and ethnicity gaslighting
  • Leadership commit to transparency and publish the outcomes of investigations
  • Perpetuation of racial stereotypes within the classroom or curriculum must end
  • Senior leaders will host regular diversity talks that include reference to how diversity benefits everyone at ALRA and in the wider industry
  • ALRA will maintain a clear and anonymous reporting system which is supported and encouraged by faculty

 

You can find a PDF version of ALRA’s Action Plan Against Racism on the Policies, Reports and Plans page.

 

Edits:

The above Action Plan was first published 17th June 2020

(Edit 1) made on 24th June following structural change.

Additions and edits (2, 3 and 4) were made on 24th June, as numbered aboveafter further consultation and in response to a collective graduate letter of 16th June 2020 and a follow up letter of 20th June 2020.