Case study: Intersectional diversity in governance at 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art

^{Attendees at the VIP opening of Louise Zhang ‘No dust left in the lilies’, 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, 2023. Photo by Anna Hay.}

Based on Gadigal Country in Sydney, 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art platforms contemporary Asian art and the art of the Asian diaspora, both in Australia and globally.

For 4A, diversity is business-as-usual, with a mission that champions the practices of Asian artists and elevates cross-cultural dialogues between Australia and Asia. 4A consciously aims to continuously improve diversity across all levels of the organisation to foster authentic and genuine connections.

Thea Bauman, Artistic Director and CEO of 4A, explains that diversity is an integral part of the organisation’s identity and is actively nurtured.

“We approach [diversity] from multiple levels – beyond programming, it’s also team makeup and our leadership board,” Thea said.

4A’s approach to diversity embraces the multiplicity intrinsic to how people may identify, especially with respect to cultural identities, communities and backgrounds.

“Everything we do is centred on diverse practices, identities, representation and leading with an Asian diasporic voice at heart.” – Artistic Director and CEO of 4A, Thea Bauman

“We’re trying to expand on all intersectional points. Hopefully the kind of picture that we’re able to capture is one of authenticity and representation that is truly, truly diverse.”

Understanding that identities and experiences are layered and nuanced, 4A focuses on empowering and embedding these perspectives into all the organisation does, from decision-making through to the art experienced by audiences. In leadership, this is layered with specific skillsets, such as capacity to be “thinking in that highly strategic head space to keep any organisation afloat and solvent,” Thea said.

Ways 4A approaches diversity in governance

• Championing diverse voices: Acknowledging ­­4A’s heritage and the legacy of the Asian diaspora – as migrants, as settlers and as second and third generation migrants – is core to enriching the diversity of perspectives throughout the organisation’s governance, operations and programming. 4A also believes that including the perspectives of First Nations people and including artists on the board is integral to diversifying decision-making.
• Leadership and mentorship: 4A actively ensures their board and leadership team represent different ages, backgrounds and artistic perspectives. To maximise the benefit of this diversity, they embrace a knowledge-sharing and mentorship culture. At 4A, experienced board members mentor newer board members that lack governance or board-specific experience, ensuring knowledge and processes are shared. This enables 4A to build board capacity and effectively include different perspectives in governance and decision-making.
• Engaging with communities: As board members, producers and facilitators, the 4A team is representative of the communities in which the organisation operates and engages. This representation helps ensure 4A is actively engaged, trusted and responsive to the needs and interests of its community members.
• Monitoring and making data visible: 4A uses live data capturing systems (for example, Airtable) to monitor and track diversity metrics, such as the cultural backgrounds of artists and creatives they work with, including what languages they may speak. The data captured is used as an evolving snapshot that provides visibility of the extent and level of diversity from programming to board make-up, providing a clear, periodic assessment of progress in promoting diversity and inclusion.

Learnings for other organisations

• Capture and monitor diversity: Consider capturing and monitoring diversity metrics of the people you work with internally and externally (for example: age, cultural backgrounds, languages spoken, life experience, community). Data fields that use broad terms or free text allow individuals to have more agency in the language they use to describe themselves and what information they might choose to disclose about their life and identity. For example, ‘cultural background’ might include ethnicity, migrant status, national origin or belonging to a specific cultural group, and ‘life experience’ might include information such as being an LGBTQIA+ person or a person with a disability. [Note: See Creative Australia Guide to Using the Board Skills and Diversity Matrix Template here]
• Foster diversity holistically: Different organisations will have different approaches and aspirations for achieving diversity. Ensure your approach reflects the communities and context in which your organisation works and engages, as this will help ensure its ongoing relevance. Approaching this holistically means supporting participation of these voices throughout the organisation, spanning programming, audience engagement, team composition, and leadership and governance.
• Build capacity and cultivate diverse leadership: Establish mechanisms for knowledge sharing and capacity building, as this helps to bridge the gap between experienced leaders and emerging leaders from diverse backgrounds, supporting active participation by all in decision-making processes. This can include providing formal mentorships with tenured board members, board-observer opportunities and governance training. [Note: See Creative Australia’s Guide to Board and Organisation Succession Planning here].

Read more case studies at our Governance Hub.