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Represent York

A project by: Norman Rea Gallery

Successful

WE RAISED £4,795

from 76 donors

This project received pledges on Mon 15 Mar 2021
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Make York's art collection more representative and donate to diversity!

A short summary of our project

The Norman Rea Gallery and York Anti-Racist Collective Society are banding together to fundraise towards a meaningful and relevant cause. This is a campaign to support diversity and awareness within the University and beyond in York.

The money funded will be in part used to commission an artwork by a POC artist, and will be donated to the University, serving to represent the diversity of York and current climate of change and growth we are in. This aim is to diversify the University’s Art Collection as more representative of its students, with the current collection being by majority white artists. 

Both of these causes are in reaction to the recent discussions of race in the wider world and also on campus.

The Norman Rea gallery has pledged to fundraise throughout the year for charities relating to anti-racism, and we have partnered with York Anti Racist Collective society to reach this goal. Thus, the other part of the money fundraised will be donated to a relevant charity that we feel represents and actively works towards this change. We have chosen the Racial Justice Network to be the recipient of this sum. https://racialjusticenetwork.co.uk 

Who are WE?

We are the Norman Rea Gallery and the newly formed York Anti-Racist Collective Society: 

  • The Norman Rea Gallery is the student run gallery on campus whose current curatorial focus is on representation. 
  • The York Anti-Racist Collective Society is the student extension of the York Anti Racist Collective that carries out anti-racist work throughout the city of York.

We aim to widen the much needed conversation of representation and awareness on campus through the arts. 

our story

During the curation of the Norman Rea's 'CHANGE' exhibition back in July, the gallery's committee and its members engaged deeply with topics of diversity and representation. In their projects since, the gallery has worked with the University's art collection - which we feel does not represent the true diversity of its cohort. Since then, the gallery has been dedicated to further exploring these topics in an effort to make a difference in the art scene on campus and to reflect the wider ethnic diversity present within the student body.

The York Anti-Racist Collective formed as a direct response to the height of the Black Lives Matter movement and have since worked to further this much needed conversation surrounding race and the necessity for change. And so, in collaboration with YARC, together we hope to amplify underrepresented voices as a means of furthering the narrative in which equal opportunity is paramount. We hope that the donation of this artwork to the University of York's art collection will signify a positive change for the future of the institution and its students. 

Where will the money go?

The funds raised will be split neatly between the artwork commission and our chosen charity.

Find us here

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!

This project is led by the following society committee members, with support from members of both societies:

Norman Rea Gallery:

Director Senah Tuma. Co-Vice Directors Mariah Chuan & Emily Quli. Members Officer Francesca Christodoulou.

YARC:

President Aphra Bennett. Campaign Manager Kemi Obayan.

Help us succeed!

You don't need to give money to help us succeed! Please share this project with anyone you think would support us – on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc.

And we know we said you don't need to give money to help us, but we'd love it if you did! Please sponsor us and help make this happen as we're passionate about making a difference. Help us bring forth real change!