Artist Evan Ifekoya Withdraws Labor from Goldsmiths College Over Institutional Racism Claims

Evan Ifekoya, the sole permanently employed Black academic in Goldsmiths College's art department, has withdrawn their labor in protest against what they describe as institutional, structural, and economic racism. The artist cited an internal letter revealing that five of the department's six BAME staff members are on precarious fixed-term contracts, with colleagues allegedly responding to support requests by pushing back with statements like 'all staff matter.' Ifekoya's open letter expressed refusal to shoulder anti-racist work due to their racial identity and condemned colleagues who centered whiteness in their responses. Goldsmiths College is planning to cut 163 academics on fixed-term contracts along with 309 Associate Lecturers and Graduate Trainee Tutors, with campaigners noting the school declined to furlough these workers, allowing contracts to expire instead. The college froze all recruitment earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic but stated it did not terminate any Associate Lecturer contracts early, encouraging current workers to claim payment as usual. A pressure group, Precarious@Gold, announced a marking boycott last week. In a statement to ArtReview, a Goldsmiths spokesperson said the college would investigate specific reports of racist behavior and prioritize discussions with students and colleagues to eliminate racism, acknowledging that mere commitment statements are insufficient.