Solidarity Statement
Many Studios stand against racism, discrimination, hatred, or violence of any kind. Many Studios acknowledge the deep-seated, systemic racism, White Supremacy and oppression that persists in the UK and elsewhere. Many Studios stand in solidarity with all those who are affected by these forces, and recognise the long history of resistance and anti-oppression work that has come before now, and continues in the present. There is no place for hate in Glasgow, in the neighbourhoods and communities in which Many Studios and those it serves calls home.
Many Studios is committed to building equity within and access to the arts in Glasgow, through workspace provision, international visual arts programming, an open-source venue, community projects, and wider advocacy.
PACBI Statement
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) was initiated in 2004 to contribute to the struggle for Palestinian freedom, justice, and equality. PACBI aims to draw a line between culture workers and the actions of governments funding and endorsing the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians by Israel. It advocates for a boycott of Israeli academic and cultural institutions for their complicity in Israel’s denial of Palestinian rights stipulated in international law.
By endorsing PACBI, Many Studios commits to its guidelines, and within our organisation we will:
boycott and/or work towards the cancellation of events, activities, agreements, or projects involving Israel, its lobby groups or its cultural institutions, or that otherwise promote the normalization of Israel in the global cultural sphere, whitewash Israel’s violations of international law and Palestinian rights, or violate the BDS guidelines.
We endeavor to not use products of companies linked to the Israeli state and human rights abuses and to actively find alternatives to products that are complicit.
Ethical funding - we refuse funding from and partnership with Israeli institutions or complicit non-Israeli institutions.
Continue to create an accessible venue and platform for anti-racist, anti-imperialist, anti-colonial organising (including free use of space, subject to availability).
For more information please see the following resources:
How to endorse PACBI and download this pledge card here.
If you feel we are not withholding our commitment to PACBI please get in touch at info@manystudios.co.uk
Race
Many Studios stand in unwavering solidarity with all people of racial and ethnic minorities, recognising the ongoing and deeply-rooted systems of racism, White supremacy, and colonialism that continue to impact individuals and communities. We acknowledge the persistent discrimination, violence, and marginalisation faced by Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) in all aspects of life, including access to education, healthcare, employment, and cultural spaces. Many Studios understand that racial injustice does not exist in isolation but intersects with other forms of oppression such as class, disability, gender, and sexuality, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable within these communities.
We are committed to dismantling these systems of oppression within our own spaces by fostering an environment of inclusion, support, and representation for racialised individuals. Many Studios pledges to provide resources, platforms, and opportunities for BIPOC creatives to thrive, and to actively challenge any form of racism, prejudice, or exclusion within our community. We also recognise the ongoing legacy of colonialism and global inequalities, which continue to shape the lived experiences of racial minorities both in the UK and beyond.
Through our actions, Many Studios will continue to promote racial justice, amplify diverse voices, and create safer, more accessible spaces for racialised individuals to express their creativity and culture freely, without fear of discrimination or harm.
Disability
Many Studios recognises that those with disabilities - both visible and invisible - are systemically disenfranchised and are more likely to be subject to violence, sexual violence, and economically devalued, than those without disabilities. Many Studios recognise the affirmative actions required to ensure those with disabilities have equal access and agency to contribute to, and safely participate in, creative, cultural opportunities.
Class
Many Studios recognise that class prejudice in the UK intersects with other forms of oppression and discrimination in complex ways, while significantly impacting people’s access to culture, opportunities, and material resources. Many Studios recognises how working class people are specifically disenfranchised from participation in the arts, and stands against the demonisation, patronisation, and romanticisation of the working class that occurs throughout the sector and beyond. Many Studios also acknowledge that the global majority of working class people are in the global south, which is a legacy of colonial exploitation, and ongoing global inequality maintained for the benefit of Western powers.
LGBTQ+
Many Studios stand in unwavering solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community, including trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse individuals. We recognise that LGBTQ+ people continue to face systemic discrimination, violence, and marginalisation due to their identities, especially within spaces that should be inclusive. Transgender individuals and those with non-conforming gender identities face specific vulnerabilities, such as lack of legal protection, violence, and exclusion from opportunities. We commit to creating a supportive and inclusive environment where LGBTQ+ individuals can express themselves authentically and without fear of discrimination or harassment. Many Studios acknowledge the intersectionality of LGBTQ+ identities, understanding that people who are Black, People of Colour, disabled, neurodivergent, or working class face additional layers of oppression. We actively work to ensure that LGBTQ+ voices are uplifted, represented, and respected across all aspects of our work.
Women
Many Studios stand in full solidarity with women and individuals who face gender-based discrimination, including those who identify as women, non-binary, and are gender non-conforming. We recognise that women, particularly those from marginalised communities, remain disproportionately affected by violence, economic disparity, underrepresentation in the arts, and restrictive gender norms. Gender-based violence and harassment are persistent issues, and Many Studios acknowledges the specific vulnerabilities of women and gender-diverse people in public and private spaces. We are committed to breaking down barriers that hinder women’s participation and ensuring that women and gender-diverse individuals have equal access to opportunities, safety, and support. We also recognise the compounded oppression faced by women who are also LGBTQ+, disabled, working-class, and from ethnic minorities, and we work to combat this layered injustice.
As an organisation we commit to continue working towards offering an environment safe and free from any form of violence, through our approach to: studio tenancy; users of building facilities; and recruitment of staff.
We have outlined actions in relation to each of our key (service) areas, as follows:
Studio Membership/Tenancy
Applicants to studios will not be judged according to their identity, such as their race, religion, or ethnicity, but by the suitability of their practice to the building environment.
Positive action towards studio occupancy, prioritising applications from people who identify as BPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, neurodivergent, working class and those who have caring responsibilities, as we know these lived experiences and identities are underrepresented within the sector and face significant barriers.
Our core ambition is to provide affordable workspace in the city. Our model is constantly reviewed and adjusted in line with external economic shifts, to ensure that workspace is not a barrier in terms of cost.
On signing a lease, new studio members will complete a New Member Survey which notes personal accessibility requirements, including optional questions regarding provision for people with protected characteristics. Responses to this survey will be reviewed and actioned in a timely manner.
Reasonable adjustments will be made to support studio members in their tenancy and in the application and induction process. For example, leases can be provided in large-format; consideration can be applied to preferred modes of communication; adjustments to signage within the building, etc.
The building is serviced by a member of staff between 9-5pm Monday to Friday, with clear points of contact for studio members. This ensures a member of the team can assist and support studio members if required, and studio members are aware of times where lone working can be avoided.
The organisation takes an ethical position to surveillance, ensuring there are no recording devices in the building, actively building a supportive community within the building, alongside a well-serviced building with staff.
The organisation actively builds relationships within the wider community and with neighbours, building friendships as part of an approach to security and safety for our building and our communities within.
Any breaching of the Many Studios Code of Conduct by a studio member will be seen as breaking the terms of their studio lease and cause for lease termination. Our lease states that Many Studios has the right to terminate any lease should any Rules and Regulations communicated to them be broken. This is at Many Studios’ discretion, and we will ensure to enact this should any racist, discriminatory or abusive action be undertaken by a studio member. This includes action known to have taken place outside of the building of Many Studios.
Venue Hire and the Public
In our Open Source Events Space, priority is given to those undertaking solidarity or anti-oppressive activist activities. Additional discounts are given to support this activity, at the discretion of Many Studios. This may be in the form of in-kind staffing and/or hire discounts.
A payment scale is applied that accounts for charitable and commercial activities, ensuring commercial entities are paying a higher rate to support low-cost hire for community organising and charitable activities.
The Many Studios Code of Conduct will be shared with all staff and duty managers, and the organisation will seek training to support this work.
The Many Studios Code of Conduct will be shared with all external users of our venue upon time of booking. It will be explained to all hirers the implications of this Code of Conduct being broken and Duty Managers’ power to end events or ask individuals to leave should this occur.
All events will be checked during the booking process to ensure the planned activities do not promote, sympathise with, or give space for discriminatory activity or rhetoric.
Many Studios will also check, as far as possible, that any organisations using or paying for the use of the Events Space are not actively promoting hate or discrimination, nor that they invest in, are funded by, or are affiliated with organisations or individuals that do.*
Recruitment and Staffing
Positive action towards recruitment, prioritising applications from people who identify as BPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, neurodivergent, working class and those who have caring responsibilities, as we know these lived experiences and identities are underrepresented within the sector and it is important that our organisation reflects the wider public and studio membership in order to effectively uphold solidarity and anti-discriminatory work. For example, all candidates who meet the basic criteria and identify as being part of those communities will be offered an interview.
Develop, update and monitor Fair Work and EDI policies.
Constantly review salaries and payment structures to ensure Many Studios remains a Glasgow Living Wage employer.
Seeking appropriate and solidarity training for all staff.
Make space for conversations around additional support needs from the organisation for those with who experience barriers to work.
Regular reviews of internal processes and communications to ensure all staff are informed about the expectations on them, the Code of Conduct, and their support.
Duty Managers of events and staff working alone are provided with emergency contact details for Directors and Building Manager.
* Within our ability to know this through appropriate and possible means, recognising this is an ongoing area of learning.\
References
In research, Many Studios has referenced several other policy documents from organisations in the development of this Code of Conduct for Safer Spaces document. We note thanks to the following organisations for their work:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GEIZ35d-vg2YLxOlgIslk0sE6wUa7_Av/view
https://arika.org.uk/solidarity-statements/solidarity-statements/