Leicester conference assesses progress for minority ethnic artists 50 years on
A conference in Leicester is marking 50 years since cultural historian Naseem Khan’s report, *The Arts Britain Ignores*, challenged the exclusion of minority ethnic artists from British cultural life. The event will examine how far the arts sector has changed and what more is needed, as the meaning of British identity remains contested and independent cultural spaces face financial and redevelopment pressures.
Published in 1976 with support from arts organisations including the then Arts Council of Great Britain, Khan’s report argued that cultural practices in ethnic minority communities deserved recognition and funding. Black and Asian visual artists such as Frank Bowling, Sonia Boyce and Anish Kapoor are now critically acclaimed, but organisers say diverse arts groups still lack sustainable funding and growth, with dance and theatre also needing greater recognition. Arts Council England chair Dawn Airey is due to speak at the conference, which coincides with a new book featuring essays and research on the report’s legacy.
- A Leicester conference marks 50 years since Naseem Khan’s landmark report.
- Organisers say recognition has grown, but sustainable support remains limited.
- The discussion will consider what the arts sector should do next.
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In 1976, cultural historian Naseem Khan published The Arts Britain Ignores, a report arguing that the artistic traditions of minority ethnic communities deserved recognition and public funding. It was backed by arts organisations including the then Arts Council of Great Britain, which helped shape support for the arts in England.
Since then, artists such as Frank Bowling, Sonia Boyce and Anish Kapoor have gained wide critical recognition. The debate now includes whether arts groups serving diverse communities can secure lasting funding, and whether dance and theatre receive enough attention.
The issue matters because arts organisations help shape which stories and traditions are visible in British cultural life. Many independent venues and groups also face financial and redevelopment pressures, while ideas about British identity continue to be debated.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The conference can make the case that, despite greater recognition for some artists, minority ethnic communities and art forms still face barriers to funding, visibility and lasting institutional support. Revisiting Khan’s report may help the sector identify where progress has fallen short and strengthen the independent spaces that sustain diverse cultural work.
The case against
A critic might argue that the sector has changed substantially since 1976, with artists such as Frank Bowling, Sonia Boyce and Anish Kapoor now widely acclaimed, and that reassessing progress should account for those gains. With limited public funding and pressure on cultural venues of many kinds, support should be allocated on clear artistic and public-value grounds rather than assumed to require a separate approach for minority ethnic arts.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “50 years on from Arts Britain Ignores: how much has changed for black and Asian artists?”.