Anti Racism Action Plan
Last updated: September 2025
This working document considers how Spectra, which is founded on principles of radical inclusion, actively contributes to dismantling racist systems and structures. It is important to us that this is a working document so that it is regularly tended and in our minds – and so that it is able to be responsive to new learning, understanding and current events.
The idea of radical inclusion is critical to our work and our approach to making change. To us, this means that we are not simply seeking to include people who have been excluded and underserved into imbalanced, inequitable, exclusive and harmful systems. Instead, we seek to work in coalition to create a new and different system that is not only equitable, but celebrates the innovation that only truly diverse collaboration can manifest.
This document should be read alongside our Anti Racism Policy, which can be found here: Anti Racism Policy.
Progress So Far
Below is a brief list of actions that have been achieved and embedded into our practice so far since 2023. For the full detail of each action, please see 24-25 Anti Racism Action Plan – March 2025 Update.
- Quarterly staff and board reviews for this action plan
- Bi-annual public updates on progress
- Tracking representation, progression and wellbeing of our Black and ethnically diverse staff and freelancers
- Continuous learning to improve recruitment processes
- Clear reference to racial discrimination within our Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination Policy
- Following recruitment, 50% of active board members are Black or ethnically diverse including both co-chairs
- Unconscious Bias Training for staff team artists and board members
- In 2025, approximately 33% of our team of facilitating artists Black or ethnically diverse, compared to 18% in 2023.
Focus Areas for 2025-26
| Who | What | Deadline | Progress |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creative Lead, Creative Director Marketing and Communications Lead, All | Support Staff and Shadow Artists currently get regular 1:1s with a Support Contact. We want to make sure this is true for other artists to help track progression. Consider how we share this as an example of good practice. | April 2026 | In Progress |
| Operations Lead | Training To follow on from Unconscious Bias training in December 2024, programme a session that focuses on the intersection of race and disability. Booked in for October 2025 | Oct 2025 | Completed |
| Creative Lead, Creative Director | Community Mapping Community mapping for delivery partners, considering how we can serve the overlap of both learning disability and racial marginalisation. Planned for October 2025 | April 2026 | Not started |
| Creative Lead, Creative Director | Artist Recruitment and Development Black or ethnically diverse people make up at least 33% of facilitating artists (including Wild Possibilities facilitators and Shadowing Artists). Shadow Artist recruitment in January Black or ethnically diverse people make up at least 40% of the performance company for Precious Bane. | April 2026 | Not started |
| Creative Lead, Creative Director | Progression Shadow Artists, half of whom are currently Black or ethnically diverse, move to lead facilitation roles in areas of their choosing. Some artists will also be able to influence Spectra through the new Steering Group. Through research on learning disabled management in the arts, progression opportunities in the staff team will include Trainee Manager and management position to succeed the Creative Director (over 3 year period) | April 2026 April 2026 | Completed In Progress |
| Creative Lead, Community Lead | Climate Justice Action Group Action Group based at The Commons will make work that demonstrates anti-racism in its creative output. Ruby is developing partnerships for the Climate Justice Groups (Sept-Oct) | April 2026 | In Progress |
Accountability
For us, accountability means owning our responsibility and evaluating our progress honestly. We will review our work towards the goals laid out below quarterly, discussing with the staff team, Board, and artists. We will share our progress openly and invite discussion to further our learning and action.
If we aren’t meeting a goal, we will hold an open meeting to discuss how we can pivot or break that goal down to begin to make progress. We will be resourceful and ask for help when needed.
With positive movement in mind, we are eager to discuss our work on anti-racism and related ideas. Please contact kate@wearespectra.co.uk to start a conversation.