22 April 2025
“Art is the last thing an artist does.”
At our sixth annual Driving Change event on Thursday, keynote speaker and poet Joelle Taylor invited attendees to consider how class, race and gender intersect with the ability of an artist to create.
Joelle, a recipient of the prestigious T.S. Eliot Prize, made the case that meaningful inclusion means investment. This requires considering everything from transport to childcare to language to ensure that spaces are accessible for artists from a wide range of backgrounds.
Driving Change brings together leaders from EDI and HR departments from across the culture sector. This year’s day of workshops, talks and discussions focussed on how we can foster a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive future within the arts and beyond.
Following Joelle’s keynote address, delegates delved into workshop sessions. Emilie Fellingham (Royal Shakespeare Company) and Marc Elliott (Roundhouse) led ‘From Knowledge to Innovation,’ exploring the crucial intersection of craft, human skills, and technology for future arts leadership. In a concurrent session, Shonagh Reid (Spotlight Inclusion) delivered ‘Creating a diverse and inclusive Board,’ addressing the benefits and challenges of building equitable governance.
In the afternoon, Gemma Johnson and Scott Morrison from The Glasshouse International Centre for Music presented a workshop on integrating EDI into organisations in an honest and meaningful way. The ‘Class in the Arts Hackathon,’ facilitated by Zainab Shariff (Southbank Centre) and Tom Armstrong (Common People), focussed on ways to use visibility and recruitment as tools to break down class barriers in the arts.
A thought-provoking panel discussion followed, on the topic ‘How do we drive change (and instill hope) in a changing world?’. Featuring Carolyn Forsyth (Talawa Theatre) and Antonte Semira (UN Women UK), the conversation emphasised how hope is a radical act found in action, resistance and, perhaps most of all, community.
The day ended with a networking session, and the opportunity to attend the 20th Roundhouse Poetry Slam Final, seeing the youth voice in action on the Roundhouse stage.