Christopher BarrettCampaign group Black Lives in Music (BLIM) has announced an industry-wide anti-racism code of conduct, set to be adopted in spring 2023 with the backing of industry bodies and the UK’s Independent Standards Authority (ISA).
BLIM CEO Charisse Beaumont announced the code during a parliamentary inquiry into misogyny in the music industry. She said the code is being launched with the aim of raising standards and tackling discrimination. It will cover issues such as discriminatory behaviour, micro-aggressions, support mechanisms for staff, mandatory anti-racism training, equal pay and contracts, career progression and achieving proportionate representation in the artist, technical and production communities.
She said, “It will have the power to investigate the most serious and complex cases of bullying and harassment, as well as advocate for positive culture and discrimination. It will have legal expertise behind it as well. There are pockets of support, but if you’re looking for help, where do you go? That’s why it’s really important to have that overarching, strong messaging of consequence, of protection. That you do not have to have fear of retaliation. And I think that can be found with the ISA.”
Beaumont also referred to findings of BLIM’s Being Black in the UK Music Industry Pt. 1 survey of Black musicians and music industry professionals, which was conducted in partnership with Opinium Research.
Among the report’s findings were that some 88% of all Black music professionals agreed that there are barriers to progression, and 73% of Black music professionals have experienced direct/indirect racism in the music industry.