“Speak up if you see something that needs changing,” is number seven in a list of “10 things you need to know about the Barbican”, according to a company-sanctioned handbook handed out to new staff joining the London arts organisation. In another section, a “letter to yourself on the day you started”, comes the advice: “It’s frustrating at times, but never dull.” The guide, which has a bright yellow cover and is printed with the Barbican’s trademark sans-serif “Futura” typeface, was written by employees of the centre in September 2016.
Now, its design has been subverted to highlight allegations of institutional racism at the Barbican. A new book, Barbican Stories, compiled and produced by current and former Barbican employees of colour, mimics the handbook’s aesthetic style and tone. Subtitled “An indispensable record of discrimination in the workplace”, the book details more than 100 instances of alleged racist and prejudiced behaviour directed towards Barbican employees, including accounts in which staff members recall being referred to as “diversity hires”, and being routinely mistaken for other people of the same ethnicity in staff meetings. Current and former staff shared their stories anonymously for the book. The alleged incidents date back to 2014, while some are said to have occurred during the past year.
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