The City of London Corporation has today announced that Lewis Silkin LLP will oversee an external review into staff experiences of racism at the Barbican.

The leading employment and equalities law specialists will assist the City Corporation to instruct a highly experienced and respected Queen’s Counsel who will undertake the review.

The review will consider the experiences of racism and discrimination highlighted by staff at the arts centre in the recent Barbican Stories publication, and work with staff to identify further incidents or matters of concern.

The review will make recommendations on the actions the Barbican and City of London Corporation should take with regards to policies and processes and if appropriate, individual conduct.

The review will start this month and report to the City Corporation’s Barbican Centre Board in September.

Chair of the City of London Corporation’s Barbican Centre Board, Tom Sleigh, said:

“We take allegations of racism and discrimination extremely seriously and our priority is ensuring that those staff members who have experienced racism are fully supported.

“We look forward to receiving a thorough and frank report with robust recommendations that will enable tangible and meaningful change to occur.”

The City of London Corporation is the founder, principal funder and employer of the Barbican.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

About the City of London Corporation

The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk

About the Barbican
A world-class arts and learning organisation, the Barbican pushes the boundaries of all major art forms including dance, film, music, theatre and visual arts.

Its creative learning programme further underpins everything it does. Over a million people attend events annually, hundreds of artists and performers are featured, and more than 300 staff work onsite. The architecturally renowned centre opened in 1982 and comprises the Barbican Hall, the Barbican Theatre, The Pit, Cinemas 1, 2 and 3, Barbican Art Gallery, a second gallery The Curve, public spaces, a library, the Lakeside Terrace, a glasshouse conservatory, conference facilities and three restaurants. The City of London Corporation is the founder and principal funder of the Barbican Centre.

About Lewis Silkin LLP

Lewis Silkin LLP is a market leading commercial law firm with offices in London, Oxford, Cardiff, Dublin and Hong Kong. The firm works with leading businesses to protect and enhance their most important assets — their ideas, their people, and their future.

Lewis Silkin LLP’s award-winning employment team is one of the largest in the UK, with dedicated experts in areas such as investigations, discrimination, complex litigation, and workplace data, and a track record of leading precedent setting cases on issues of the day. They are recognised by clients and industry alike as being distinct for providing solutions to complex, multijurisdictional business challenges, with a pragmatic and human touch.