The former head of academic programs at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London resigned in late January after accusing the institution’s staff of “racist” and “culturally insensitive” behaviors, the Art Newspaper reported Monday.
The accusations by Yuko Kikuchi came in a January 26 letter addressed to V&A director Tristram Hunt, as well as trustees of the V&A’s research committee. In that letter, Kikuchi wrote that the museum “likely” has “a culture of systemic racism” and she further described her letter as “an act of whistleblowing” as she felt that issues raised by her students would not be addressed without her taking action. (While ARTnews has not seen the letter, the Art Newspaper reported that it had reviewed it.)
In an interview with the Art Newspaper, Kikuchi said that she “felt unwelcome from day one” and added that she experienced frequent microaggressions, including resistance to proposed initiatives and being excluded from important meetings. In addition, she claimed that she was advised by a colleague to avoid terms such as “decolonial” and “post-colonial” in conversations with other staffers.
The V&A and the Royal College of Art, which co-runs the MA History of Design that Kikuchi led, told the Art Newspaper in a joint statement that the institutions are “committed to celebrating diversity eliminating discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity; we stand firmly against unlawful discrimination in all its forms, and take any incidents of discrimination or reporting of unsafe learning environments extremely seriously.”
“The History of Design MA programme, taught in partnership by the V&A and the Royal College of Art, necessarily engages critically with questions of social justice, decolonisation and global histories through its teaching and research,” the statement adds.
Kikuchi’s letter also includes an appendix with testimonials from students in the History of Design program, in which they write of their own experiences of racism, cultural sensitivity, and “unsafe” learning environment. The Art Newspaper said it spoke with several students directly who raised similar concerns.
In response, the V&A and the RCA said, “The [MA History of Design] programme includes regular opportunities for student feedback and reflection on the equity, diversity and inclusion impacts of teaching and learning. The V&A and RCA have continued to engage with students through a series of dedicated meetings and follow-up discussions to address any concerns raised and have taken forward a range of actions to strengthen teaching, pastoral support and staff development.”
