Ruffling the critics’ feathers

Naseem Khan espoused the ideals of diversity and equality in the arts in her seminal 1976 report The Arts Britain Ignores, but since then little progress has been made in building infrastructure and power bases for the communities of concern, especially when it comes to arts criticism and journalism. This is why a new publication is putting diverse thought and leadership centre stage, amplifying sector-wide issues from the perspective of Black and Asian artists.

Rare commodity

Off/Stage aims to build on Khan’s ideals in a practical way. It’s an online, interactive advocacy publication dedicated to Black & Asian lives, experiences and work. Produced by Tribe Arts and part-funded by the Arts Council, each issue of the zine will have a theme or central idea. The first issue looks at the complex (and somewhat controversial) conversation around political blackness; the second will look at another equally multifaceted topic – colour-blind casting.

Why didn't a publication like Off/Stage didn’t already exist? Why has it had taken so long for someone to do this? The answer is perhaps obvious: Black and Asian artists battle inequitable allocation of resources, restrictions on their ambition and, of course, limits on their freedom to create without expectation or inhibition. So often they are denied these rare commodities.

Unpicking each of these is not the concern of this article, and many Black and Asian artists understand these barriers anyway, so suffice to say things are the way they are because not very much has changed in the political or cultural economy of this country for several decades.

Fearless autonomy

This is not to say similar magazines haven’t existed in the past. Artrage was an intercultural arts magazine published between 1983 and 1995, edited by Jacob Ross. Black Media Journal was another example that briefly existed for a few months between 1999 and 2000. They share one defining feature: a short run. Neither publication was sustained, and so Black and Asian artists have remained at the fringes of mainstream coverage, which generally does not favour their stories or chooses to showcase them only when the vogue is high. They nearly always see Black and Asian artists as risky ventures.

As an actor-led company that specialises in igniting cultural and artistic conversations about social issues relevant to British Black and Asian communities, it feels inevitable that Tribe Arts would eventually produce an advocacy publication of this kind. Our company is spearheaded by two British Asian men. Many might see this as a disadvantage when producing a publication geared towards Black artists too – but this misunderstands the deep and rich history of solidarity between these two communities in the face of colonialism and oppression.

The potential impact of Off/Stage on the arts sector and the opportunity it offers to Black and Asian artists is exciting. It will provide a legitimate framework for our voices and concerns. Probably the most controversial strand of the zine is ‘The Inquiry Desk’, a regular feature in which White-led institutions are investigated and held to account over their promises to improve diversity and inclusion. It focuses on race, a metric that has been diluted in favour of parity with other protected characteristics. This is not a bad thing in itself, but it has slowed progress on racial equality in the arts. I have no doubt The Inquiry Desk will ruffle the feathers of conservative critics and gatekeepers. The sector cannot be incorrigible about diversity. Mindsets must change; if that change isn’t happening internally, an external push showcasing external discourse and narratives will help.

Off/Stage can help shift the power balance. At last, there will be a place for our work to exist long after the show ends, a space free from the White gaze, and a home for Black art that is more ambitious, more radical – more itself. Connecting British Black and Asian artists to artists in the wider diasporas will allow for greater international insight and exchanges that are few and far between for UK-based Black and Asian artists.

Conscious culture

Critics may argue that the focus of the zine creates division or segregation within the sector. I don’t see it that way. If we don’t protect and give currency to the little that exists of Black and Asian art, we risk losing its authenticity, its history, and its unique story. It is clear the mainstream neither truly values or is representative of Black and Asian stories and voices, so we must begin to create our own mainstream. I hope Off/Stage galvanises Black & Asian artists to make work that truly speaks to their lived experiences, and not work that is whitewashed, palatable or safe. Far from promoting a segregated arts culture, I think Off/Stage will contribute to our sector having a more conscious culture. We must advocate and create spaces for marginalised voices if we are to have greater unity within our sector and society.

Tajpal Rathore is artistic director of Tribe Arts and editor of Off/Stage
 www.tribearts.co.uk/off-stage
 @tribe__arts | @offstagezine

Off/Stage has an initial run of three issues to test the waters and gain support. Read the first issue at tribearts.co.uk/off-stage and subscribe to the mailing list to receive updates on plans to sustain this venture, including details of a crowdfunding campaign. To celebrate its inauguration and be part of these conversations, book your tickets here for a Zoom press launch on November 30.