Winnipeg's Platform Adopts Anti-Racism Measures

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Another Winnipeg artist-run centre, Platform, is acknowledging it needs to do more to counter whiteness in its organization. 

In a public letter, Platform apologized for its silence on current conversations about racism, saying it has been working as an organization to develop a series of actions.

"In developing a way to move forward as an organization in private meetings and conversations, we’ve left the public out of our process – good intentions and 'taking our time to do the right thing' is not an excuse," the letter said.

"Opacity in organizations’ accountability process is a function of white supremacy, and that is something we are actively working to dismantle within our own. We commit to not being silent this way again." 

Last month, Winnipeg's aceartinc. suspended operations for a "radical shakeup and dismantling" that saw the resignation of Helga Jakobson as the centre's program director and Seth Woodyard as board president.

Among Platform's actions are a "safer spaces" policy, anti-oppression training for board and staff members, regular accountability check-ins, mandatory vetting of potential artists, facilitators and curators, and other measures to boost BIPOC's experiences of art.

Platform said its analysis of programming since 1981 shows marginalized artists have historically been underrepresented in its space.

"We take responsibility for the ways in which our organization has preserved and uplifted whiteness, and going forward, are committed to prioritizing racialized people when hiring staff, seeking board members, and considering proposals for exhibitions or curatorships."

Source: Platform