Royal Court Theatre, Young Vic and Sour Lemons launches new scheme to tackle systemic racism in theatre community
© Francis Augusto
Social enterprise and charity Sour Lemons will work with the Young Vic and the Royal Court to trace and tackle systemic racism within the theatre community.
Sade Banks, CEO and founder of the charity, explained that: "Our mission is to make the truth irresistible – if it becomes impossible to not be aware of how racism manifests, it's impossible not to do something about it.
"The Sour Lemons model is unique because it responds directly to the lived experiences of racism within the organisation. By centering the needs of Black and Global Majority colleagues, it forces us to acknowledge that racism is happening over here – not ‘over there in America' or in another institution – here, in the UK and in our sector. This is the opportunity to do something about it."
Sour Lemons will work alongside each venue to build awareness of how systemic racism manifests within their organisations – through the establishment of working groups. Every six month cycle will see a report produced, reflecting on progress and ongoing issues.
Banks went on: "The commitment the Young Vic and Royal Court Theatre have made and continue to make, not just to the partnership but in creating a culture that is accountable and hostile to racism, sends a strong message to the rest of the industry. This work has been happening behind the scenes for the past year and Sour Lemons are excited now to announce it publicly."
