WAARU is aware of the extractive actions of the @WalesRace_TF, and abusive behaviour from one particular member (with which the Taskforce has been complicit). After ignored attempts to speak to the TF and seek accountability, this needs to be stated publicly.

This is in order to hold the TF accountable to those that pledged money to them, and to protect other Black and NBPoC freelancers from harm and extractivism.

WAARU does not believe in tearing down other initiatives that work towards equity for Black and NBPoC, however cannot tolerate or co-sign this behaviour - and neither should you.

Two women of colour freelancers were involved in the TF’s working group, prior to it going public. Freelancer 1 provided their intellectual property on the basis that it would be treated as such. Freelancer 2 had their intellectual property presented to the TF w/o their consent.

Freelancer 2 came to a TF Zoom meeting and was told that, despite using their intellectual property, they would not be allowed to be a part of any of the TF’s work. Their intellectual property would continue to be used without their presence.

There were about 10 people present, all of whom work in Welsh arts organisations.

Both Freelancer 1 and 2 raised in these meetings that since more organisations were pledging money following #BLM that the working group should consider inviting more black individuals to join.

This was shut down by one of the few Black individuals present who cited it would slow the process down and that there was enough representation. We find this worrying as we believe any initiative looking to address issues of race inequality should centre Black individuals.

Our reasoning for this was exemplified in the TF’s first public Zoom (held on 19th June) in which the remaining members of the TF thought it was acceptable to invite the police and provide this police officer with a platform to speak.

Black attendees were given no prior notice that this would be the case. This was clearly insensitive to the racial traumas that are so intense and present at this time.

Upon questioning the TF’s accountability, assumed leadership, lack of consensus in decision making, lack of enough black representation and resistance around pushing for necessary structural changes in the sector…

…freelancer 1 was bullied and shouted at by an individual on the next Zoom meeting in front of 10 people. Before this, they were gaslit via emails with 12 people in the thread.

In this Zoom meeting, leading individuals from the TF said ‘structural change is not possible’, and ‘white directors need to pay their mortgages too’. In conversations meant to be about addressing racial inequality, whiteness was centred.

Freelancer 1 was reached out to by four people who witnessed these exchanges - and it was acknowledged by those witnesses that there was ‘abusive behaviour’ and ‘gaslighting’ towards freelancer 1. Unfortunately, as this was supposed to be a ‘safe space’, the Zoom was not minuted.

Of the four people who witnessed and privately reached out to freelancer 1 to acknowledge that this behaviour was not okay, and check on their mental health, two have remained in the TF regardless.

Ableist and problematic language was also used by the individual to call freelancers in Wales ‘small-minded’, as well as personal attacks calling freelancer 1 ‘ignorant’ among other things, ...

... threats to end the TF unless the they were agreed with, and refusal to end the Zoom meeting despite all participants agreeing this was no longer a safe space.

In the Zoom meeting, the individual (who had assumed leadership) said they acknowledged their ableist use of language when called up on it, however refused to address issues of inclusion for a disabled member who subsequently left the TF due to lack of access.

They then concluded that the TF would not pause to address accountability, use of language, safety or whose voices are heard until after the first round of TF consultations with freelancers were completed.

Freelancers 1 and 2 then agreed they do not consent to their intellectual property being used in the TF’s 6-point plan or by this team. Freelancer 1 emailed the TF on behalf of both of them for this to be removed due to lack of consent.

The response was that the TF would honour this, however stated they do not see the two points being requested on the 8th July for removal as ‘individual property’. They did not remove the intellectual property from their plan and insinuated it would instead be ‘reworded’.

Another email was sent asking why no action had been taken, and was met with an excuses for the delay whilst simultaneously pressing ahead with PR materials and sharing the freelancer application documents on social media daily (which included the intellectual property).

WAARU is concerned that the @WalesRace_TF has exhibited abusive behaviour and complicity to abusive behaviour towards freelancers of colour - including verbal abuse, gaslighting, manipulation, extraction of intellectual property and acting without consent.

We have also been contacted by a number of other freelancers and arts professionals stating that they have experienced abusive behaviour from the same individual in the last few years and recently.

The change that we need to the arts in Wales needs to be done right. You cannot work towards equity for Black and NBPoC in Wales if your own group does not respect it. We urge those who pledged support monetarily to hold the @WalesRace_TF to account…

...investigate the issues, ask yourselves why you pledged without any governance or accountability of the group, & prevent other freelancers from being harmed. @LitWales @theCentre @AandBCymru @AvantCymru @TyCerdd_org @WNCardiff @theatriolo @NTWtweets @NoFitState @TaliesinSwansea

@takingflightco @ndcwales and all others of the 28 organisations and individuals who have pledged £20,450 to the TF.

WAARU would also like to take this opportunity to demand that the mention of the union is taken out of the TF’s press release. This was only recently brought to our attention, and was not run by us or consented to.