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From music to food to fashion, the arts have long been a vehicle for self-expression. But there are barriers that make it hard for everyone to consume or contribute to the space. The creative industry has historically fostered a homogenous environment, which makes it hard for marginalised groups to break through. This has stunted diverse storytelling, teaching us little about traditions beyond the West.
It’s a missed opportunity. A more inclusive landscape, in which cultural storytelling is nurtured, not only adds value to businesses championing difference, but it can shape world views and offer experiences beyond our own. Though to make art, creators need funding, especially when hoping to land themselves on the luxury map. This is where lenders come in: those who invest in a creator’s vision are most successful when they see — and support — talent, laying the groundwork for fruitful collaboration and expression.
Banks are evolving from funders to facilitators, to do more than just writing or cashing cheques, and instead building relationships across markets and expertise. HSBC has helped founders secure investment, exporters reach new buyers, and innovators access partners who can accelerate their ideas. Given its global footprint, HSBC hopes to open doors in more than 60 countries, removing friction from international expansion while offering clients access to local experts, regulators and distribution networks.
Realising that collaboration is one of the most powerful ways to help clients grow, HSBC has become involved in various creative initiatives. In 2025, HSBC paired artists, designers and creators from different backgrounds and life paths to create pieces that wouldn’t have existed without cross-cultural collaboration. In January, its Sound Exchange programme allowed artist Maitha Hamdan and orchestrator Macy Schmidt to bring New York sound to life through Arabic-inspired visuals, and its Movement Exchange saw two designers combine their distinct styles to produce modern couture in April.
Whether its heritage meeting cutting-edge technology, or the speed of a startup meeting the scale of an established player, innovation often occurs at the intersection of different perspectives. In working with innovators from marginalised groups, HSBC hopes to continue championing diverse representation across the arts.
While many of these changemakers may be the first to bear the flag for their backgrounds, they’ve opened the door for the next generation of diverse creative talent. Here are eight of the creative minds redefining what it means to be at the forefront of culture.
Macy Schmidt
Founder and orchestrator | The Broadway Sinfonietta
Broadway can be — and should be — for everyone. This is the thinking of Egyptian American Macy Schmidt, Broadway’s first female orchestrator of colour, who has brought more women and BIPOC talent to the orchestra pit through all-women (and majority women of colour) orchestra The Broadway Sinfonietta. She started the orchestral collective in 2020, designed to grow the number of female musicians in the industry. Her work spotlighting racial inequality within Broadway music departments has paved the way for women of colour to reach theatrical success. Schmidt was named Woman to Watch by the Broadway Women’s Fund, and helped to raise $1 million for The Entertainment Community Fund through her orchestral production of Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical. Schmidt has also worked on the Broadway production of The Tina Turner Musical, among others.
Bianca Saunders
Founder and designer
Fashion can often perpetuate gender ideology instead of disrupting it — but seeing it with a different lens is Bianca Saunders. With designs rooted in her British Caribbean identity, Saunders’s eponymous fashion brand combines masculine and feminine elements across its ready-to-wear collections. Her pieces are often hailed as bold and gender-defying through the exploration of modern cultures and touchpoints. Founded in 2017, the label is stocked by 37 retailers globally, and has collaborated with luxury brands and streetwear labels, including Gucci and Puma.
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