Partners for London’s Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced a new Partners Board is being created to support the work of the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm.

A range of organisations, including statutory bodies and policy makers, are being invited to share their expertise with the Commission, which is being set up to review and improve diversity across London's public realm.

The Mayor is creating the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm to help ensure London's achievements and diversity are suitably reflected. Statues, plaques and street names largely reflect Victorian Britain and the Commission will focus on increasing representation among Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, women, the LGBTQ+ community and disabled people.

The Partners Board is being established to provide further knowledge and advice for the Commission on a range of areas including art, heritage, the voluntary and community sectors, diversity and the public realm.

Arts Council England, Black Cultural Archives, Historic England and Iniva (Institute of International Visual Arts) have been confirmed as the first organisations to join the new board, and more will be recruited in the coming months.

The Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm will be co-chaired by Deputy Mayor for Social Integration, Social Mobility and Community Engagement Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard and Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries Justine Simons OBE, and an open call for up to 15 independent members is due to start next month.

Ahead of this recruitment, a draft terms of reference has been created to set out the Commission's scope and role. This includes:

• Making recommendations on the commissioning of statues, memorials, blue plaques, commemorations, murals, street art, works on public hoardings, street names, pavements, and street furniture.

• Providing an overview of existing public art and the public realm in London.

• Creating best practice on commissioning works and how to assess, evaluate and approach contested heritage, including making recommendations for the addition of context to existing works, or their removal.

The Mayor is committed to ensuring that the capital's history is celebrated and commemorated in the most appropriate way. Following his support for the installation of a statue of suffragist leader Millicent Fawcett in Parliament Square in 2018, Sadiq and his senior team have held discussions with council, community and arts leaders across the capital to assess the best way to improve diversity in the public realm.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "For too long our public spaces have neglected the achievements of many in our city. The range of people immortalised in our statues, memorials and buildings have left a restricted view of the past that fails to show our capital's great diversity. It's time for this to change. We must work together to tell the full story of our history. That's why I'm setting up The Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm and why I'm delighted that our new Partners Board will share their range of expertise and knowledge to help bring about the change we need."

Joyce Wilson, Area Director, London, Arts Council England, said: "The Arts Council is committed to promoting inclusivity across the arts, museums and libraries. And so we're pleased to be part of the Mayor's Commission and look forward to working with its members to make our public spaces welcoming to and representative of people of all backgrounds."

Arike Oke, Managing Director, Black Cultural Archives, said: "Black Cultural Archives is delighted to join the Partner Board for the Commission. We hope to see London's contemporary environment finally reflect its rich layers of African and Asian heritage. London is a city whose people and history have influenced and been influenced by our global inheritance. Taking the baton from the 2005 Mayor's Commission on African and Asian heritage, Black Cultural Archives is pleased to see that our current Mayor, Sadiq Khan, will be putting words into action with the new Commission."

Emily Gee, Regional Director for Historic England in London and the South East, said: "Our capital's public places should make us feel welcome, encourage us to think, and help us appreciate the historic and modern city around us. Representation is a very important part of this. At Historic England we are committed to working with the Mayor, local authorities, communities and institutions to ensure that thoughtful interpretation, historical research, good design, and listing play a positive role in London's historic environment."

Sepake Angiama, Artistic Director, Iniva, said: "We are happy to share our expertise and experience to think about how our public spaces better reflect the rich and diverse culture in an open dialogue with artists and the wider public. We are grateful for the invitation from Sadiq Khan as one of the initial members of the Partners Board. We look forward to working with the GLA on our continual work to champion the work of African, Caribbean, Asian, Indigenous, Latin American and diaspora artists whose work speaks to our rich and diverse culture and embeds a dialogue within the communities with whom we wish to learn from and with."

About Arts Council England

Arts Council England champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences. It supports a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries - from theatre to digital art - reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections.

About Black Cultural Archives

Black Cultural Archives is the only national heritage centre dedicated to collecting, preserving and celebrating the histories of African and Caribbean people in Britain.

About Historic England

Historic England is a public body that champions and protects England's historic places.

About Iniva

Iniva (Institute of International Visual Arts) has always put artists and communities at the centre of their work. As a Black-led visual arts organisation, Iniva has over 25 years of experience working directly with artists to support the social and political impact of globalisation through research, commissions, education, exhibitions and publications but also through projects in the public realm.