April update on Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism

As part of The Courtauld’s ongoing work on Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism, we will be sharing regular updates on the progress we have made in these areas – recognising that this work is still in its early stages, and there is much still to do. We will continue to report progress on a termly basis, and this builds on our update issued after the Autumn Term.

During the 2021 Spring Term, the following activities have taken place:

• The Courtauld’s Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Working Group met in mid-March, to review progress in embedding diversity, inclusion and anti-racism at The Courtauld.
• Interviews have been held for two faculty positions in Modern and Contemporary Art and Visual Culture, with specialisms in Black studies, the arts of Africa, or its global diasporas and we hope to announce appointments next term
• A new cross-staff group with student representation has been formed to develop an annual plan of activities to mark and celebrate key events in the diversity and inclusion calendar
• Our Decolonisation Reading Groups have continued
• Extensive work has taken place as part of our overall review of our BA degree, looking at how we include a broader range of voices and content in the future

We have continued to use our convening power to broaden art history knowledge and address diversity through our Research Forum events. Highlights of the last term included:

• A debate organised by MA Curating the Art Museum students on ‘Looking Back, Looking Forward: Decolonising the Museum’
• Artist talks, including: Helen Cammock on Images of Feminist Resistance, An ‘In Conversation’ with Jann Haworth, Black Feminist Vision with Lubaina Himid, Turner Contemporary Digital Commission winner 2020-2021 Christina Peake
• Open Courtauld Hour examining depictions of the female body in art
• The Mood of a Place: A Sensible History of India’s Eighteenth-Century Locals and Locales with Professor Dipti Khera

• Courtauld staff attended Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Training run by PILAA
• We launched our new alumni mentoring scheme, working with the Students’ Union, which so far has provided 20 Courtauld students with an additional layer of careers support. Students supported by the programme are either from a minority ethnic background, care leavers, from a non-selective state school, are the first in their family to go to university, have a registered disability or are recommended by The Courtauld’s Wellbeing team

In addition, The Courtauld is grateful for the work of the Students’ Union. Their work in the Spring Term included:

• Supporting a diverse series of student events, including a collaboration with The Black Curriculum and funding student-led BAME Soc events
• PILAA training has been put in place for students in the Summer Term