Global Ethnic Majorities Board Association

Calling all Black and Global Ethnic Majorities people (GEM) who are Board members or trustees in UK arts and culture organisations. We (Amy Lawrence, Jade Montserrat and Jack Tan as an initiating group) invite you to join a workshop to share insights, experiences and knowledge in order to determine whether there is a need to create a GEM Board Association or similar.

More than ever, creating solidarity among Black and Global Ethnic Majorities board members from across the UK is an urgent enterprise. We recognise that the experience of GEM board members can be isolating, and physically, emotionally and intellectually challenging. Reports of being gaslit, invisibile-ized and objectified are not uncommon, and we would welcome fellow GEM board members to come together with us to strategise and collectivise.

The workshop’s aim is to gather information so that we can collectively decide the next step(s). We will do this by identifying need through sharing experiences and lessons learnt from our time on Boards. Then drawing together themes arising from that sharing, we will clarify common issues and brainstorm our future need. Having gauged interest, we will consider whether or not an Association is needed. If so, we will agree the next steps to determine the kind of structure or further discussion that is necessary.

You will be asked to declare that you are a GEM person and are in, have been in or are about to join a board.

Notes: GEMBA arose out of preparatory discussions for Jade Montserrat’s public conversation “Act 2: Scoring Performance” with Amy Lawrence and Jack Tan

Image: Jack Tan (2015), Decision Pong: a boardroom decision-making game; ceramics, ping pong balls, conference table. Part of How To Do Things With Rules solo show, ICA Singapore.