The Young Vic supports the call led by #PullUpOrShutUp for the acknowledgement of the deep inequalities present in the theatre sector and our institution. At this moment, we recognise the role we can play in being part of the crucial change we want to see in the future, including being transparent around our on-stage and off-stage diversity and in particular, the low levels of Black representation in our workforce.
We have published our workforce data from 2016 to 2019, along with more recent data from Spring 2020 detailing the representation of our current board, senior management and commissioned writers.
The information below is based on the data parameters set by Arts Council England. In our monitoring processes we use alternative methods that invite people to self-identify. This gives us a nuanced picture of representation within the company and is less instructive from a purely statistical perspective. We intend to collate this information once we reopen so we can provide a breakdown of racial representation within our staff and artists drawn from our method of monitoring.
We acknowledge this is the first step into a deeper, long-term self-examination that will continue with our entire organisation in the coming months ahead when our theatre reopens. We are committed to interrogating our company processes, practices and culture which will enable us to achieve true representation and the end of oppression faced by Black people in society and the workforce today.
The Young Vic.
For context of scale, our current workforce consists of:
- 55 permanent/fixed-term employees (of which 11 are senior management)
- 47 Front of House casuals
- 12 Young Vic Board members
Of the 17 writers currently under commission 47% are Black or East Asian, and 65% are female.
This information does not include our freelance actors, creatives, production or casual technical staff.
