John Akomfrah and Jasleen Kaur among 200 signatories of letter denouncing Barbican’s decision to remove arts head – The Art Newspaper

More than 200 arts professionals, including the artists Jasleen Kaur, Isaac Julien and John Akomfrah, have signed an open letter addressed to the Barbican Centre in London expressing their “profound disappointment and alarm” regarding the recent departure of Devyani Saltzman, the institution’s director for arts and participation. Graham Sheffield, the former artistic director of the Barbican, has also signed the letter.

In a recent statement, Saltzman said that the move is “due to an organisational restructure” and that her role will not be replaced. Saltzman, who was appointed in 2024, was reportedly made redundant and is due to leave in May. In January a new chief executive, Abigail Pogson, started at the central London arts venue, which draws around 1.5 million people annually.

The letter says: “The Barbican has stated that it will not comment on ‘individual staffing matters’. However, this is not an ordinary HR [human resources] issue. This is a major public cultural institution, funded and held in trust for the people of this city and country.” The Barbican initially told The Art Newspaper that it was “unable to comment on individual staffing matters”, before later releasing a statement in which it said that Devyani was departing “following a phase of artistic and organisational transition“ and that her role would not be replaced as the venue prepares to close ahead of a major renovation.

“A decision affecting its most senior artistic role, and one of the very few leaders of South Asian and racially diverse heritage in its history, has sector‑wide and community‑wide implications,” the letter says. “To characterise such a decision as an internal matter only is inadequate and dismissive.”

The letter calls on the Barbican to implement certain measures including providing “a full, public explanation of the rationale and process that led to the curtailment of Devyani Saltzman’s role, including the status of the post she held”. The signatories also want Barbican management to “publish up‑to‑date data on the diversity of the Barbican’s senior leadership and governance and set out how this decision affects progress towards your own stated equality and anti‑racism goals.”

In 2021, Nicholas Kenyon resigned as managing director after 14 years after staff told the Guardian that the Barbican was “institutionally racist”. 

The Barbican’s “anti-racism action plan” was finalised in 2024. “Initial priorities for the plan include starting [a] procurement process to implement anti-racism training for staff; establishing a zero tolerance reporting system to report and track incidents of racism, and [formalising] a Global Majority sponsorship programme,” says an online statement.

The letter to the Barbican, which was made public earlier this week, ends: “We urge you to respond to this letter with honesty, transparency and a concrete plan of action. Without this, our confidence in the Barbican as a partner, employer and civic space is profoundly shaken, and we will have to reconsider how we and our communities engage with the institution in the future.” Other signatories include the novelist Salman Rushdie, the independent curator Ekow Eshun and Dorothy Price, the deputy director of the Courtauld Institute in London.

The Barbican referred The Art Newspaper to its press statement when contacted for comment.