A UK-wide survey that aims to better understand the relationship between arts funders and global majority artists has launched
Carried out by independent theatre and culture platform Off/Stage, the Artists’ Anonymous survey is open for submissions from anyone in the UK who identifies as Black, Asian or from the Global Majority working professionally in the arts.
Collecting anonymised data, Off/Stage said it hopes the survey results will encourage transparency and accountability by exploring artists’ direct experiences with arts councils and other funders, including access to funding and application support, representation in strategic decision-making, and experiences of inclusion, exclusion, or institutional racism.
There will also be questions about trust, transparency, communication with funding bodies, the sustainability of careers, and interaction with internal processes and procedures.
“We know that artists from racialised communities often face barriers not just to funding but to being heard, ” said Tajpal Rathore, editor-in-chief at Off/Stage.
“Artists’ Anonymous is about listening to the people who are actually making the work — not just the institutions interpreting it,” he added.
“The aim is to gather the kind of rich, detailed data that doesn’t currently exist anywhere in the UK arts ecosystem – data that can’t be ignored.”
Off/Stage said it hopes to repeat the study as an annual sector pulse survey.
Running until 23 June 2025, respondents will be entered into a prize draw for a chance to win a £100 Amazon voucher.
