Guide to producing

Equality Action
Objectives and Plans
for NPOs

Putting equality and diversity

into action

In conjunction with Stephen Lawrence consulting

2 Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs

CONTENTS

1 What is an equality action plan? 3

2 Framework for writing your equality action plan 4

3 Responding to the Creative Case for Diversity 7

4 Reaching diverse audiences 14

5 Building boards that lead on equality and diversity 20

6 Recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce 25

Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs 3

1. WHAT IS AN EQUALITY ACTION PLAN?

Equality and diversity should be built into what we all do from the start.
It’s not an appendix to the business plan – it is the business plan.
Michelle Lally, 20-21 Visual Arts Centre

We want organisations to develop action where you have evidence that people
plans that work for them, that are owned from diverse backgrounds are under
by the whole organisation, and that achieve represented and you can add significant
measurable impact so organisations can feel value or address development gaps from
proud of the tangible changes they have made. the perspective of your programme,
audiences, community engagement,
That means that the content of your workforce and board membership.
equality action plan should:
• be practical and manageable:
• be meaningful to your organisation Be ambitious about what you want
and its local context: There is no single, to achieve, but don’t set yourself up to
right way to create an equality action plan. fail by writing objectives that you know
A large museum in London will have very you can never meet. Your equality action
different challenges and resources from plan should use the evidence to set out
a small theatre group in Shropshire. Your realistic steps you can take using
equality action plan should reflect your SMART objectives – objectives that are
organisation’s individual challenges, as specific, measurable, actionable, realistic
well as its scale, resources, purpose and and time-based.
local context.
• be part of your organisation’s wider
• ensure the building blocks for good work: The action plan will give your
practice are in place: Your equality equality and diversity work a specific
action plan should have the policies focus, but it also needs to be embedded
and procedures in place that ensure into the mainstream of how your
you comply with equality and diversity organisation thinks and works. The Arts
legislation. These also underpin good Council’s specific requirements are that
practice. They include, but are not limited organisations in band 1 embed their
to, policies and procedures related to actions on equality into their business
recruitment, employment, disciplinary and plan, and National Portfolio Organisations
grievance procedures. in bands 2 and 3 have a separate equality
• be focused to maximise impact: action plan that is clearly linked to their
Your equality action plan is most likely business plan.
to be effective if you focus on the areas
4 Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs

2. FRAMEWORK FOR WRITING YOUR EQUALITY ACTION PLAN

This framework sets out the requirements Actions
organisations need to cover as part of
their funding agreements. While band 1 Your plan should:
organisations don’t need to produce a separate • set ‘SMART’ objectives which cover
equality action plan, the framework supports the organisation’s activities, policies and
organisations to develop a plan if they wish. people (who might include employees,
governance, volunteers, sub-contractors,
Organisations in bands 2 and 3 and
audiences and communities)
Sector Support Organisations can use the
framework to inform and shape a more • include actions related to the Creative
comprehensive and detailed action plan. Case for Diversity (for example, how does
your artistic/cultural programme respond
Details on how you can address the to the Creative Case for Diversity and how
Creative Case for Diversity, audience will you evidence delivery?)
development, building and sustaining a
• include actions related to audience
diverse workforce, and your boards are
development, workforce development,
included in separate sections in the guide.
work around children and young people,
fundraising initiatives and partnership
Planning
working as and where appropriate
Your plan should: • ensure that resources, whether money,
• provide context – for example local time or something else, are available to
demographics – that helps you to support actions where needed
understand what diversity looks like in • show clearly where external partners are
the communities you work with and are involved in putting the plan into action and
working to reach. The Audience Agency what is expected of them
has developed Audience Finder and
Audience Spectrum to help. • identify any peer networks or other ways
of working with others that will support
• analyse how well your organisation and you to deliver the plan
its activities reflect the demographics of
the communities you work with and are • provide a clear link to any equalities
working to reach, and where there are gaps. work on corporate policies, processes or
systems in your business plan, enabling
• set out what your organisation is currently you to see more easily all the relevant
doing and how it is working to address work and to evidence it
any gaps.
• align with Arts Council England goals
• identify a couple of protected characteristics and priorities as outlined in your funding
where you will focus your equality and agreement – this is not mandatory, but if
diversity work to maximise your impact, it is possible it can make evidencing what
based on what your evidence tells you you are doing and reporting on it easier
about the challenges
Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs 5

Accountability
Your plan should: In 2016 the Barbican’s equality action plan
focused on collecting and analysing data
• clearly set out who is responsible for and information in relation to diversity to
each objective gain better insight and understanding of
• assign lead responsibility for monitoring, the challenges and how to tackle them.
reviewing and refreshing the equality Read more.
plan to a member of your senior
management team (although everyone
in the organisation should have ownership
of the plan)
• describe how the board will monitor
progress against the plan, including
a timetable for reviewing progress
at board meetings, and agreeing any
changes as needed
• set out how the plan will be shared
with the wider staff team so they can
understand and act in support of the
commitments your organisation is making
• describe how you will capture and report
on your actions and their outcomes in
relation to the requirements outlined in
your NPO funding agreement
• identify how you plan to share learning
with others, for example through your
annual reports, publications, website etc.

See our example equality action plan

template.
6 Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs

Tips for evidencing your equality • Look at any feedback you have collected
and diversity work on your activities and use it to evidence
your impact.
The Arts Council will not only be looking at • What networks are you part of and what
your commitment to equality and diversity events have you attended – how is
as set out in your business plan and/or learning shared?
equality action plan, but also for evidence
of the actions you have taken and how you • Use case studies.
have monitored and reviewed their impact. • Sharing your skills and learning doesn’t
need to be resource intensive. You don’t
When collecting evidence about your need to write a resource pack; you could
work on equality and diversity, you should host a meeting or write a blog.
also consider how you keep your board
and Relationship Manager at Arts Council • Think about the work you are doing on
England updated. For example, Relationship equality and diversity before you meet
Managers send out annual feedback letters with your Relationship Manager so you are
to National Portfolio Organisations by able to demonstrate what you are doing.
September based on each organisation’s
performance in the preceding funding year Read the Evidence for rating contribution
running from 1 April to 31 March. to the Creative Case for Diversity 2018-22.
• Board papers, artistic reviews, peer and
audience feedback are all key sources of
evidence for Creative Case for Diversity
ratings, as well as for your wider equality
and diversity work.
• You don’t need to discuss equality and
diversity at every board meeting, but make
sure to schedule meaningful discussion
at regular intervals – for example you
might include it to coincide with when you
expect to hit milestones in your equality
action plan. Make sure any achievements,
outstanding actions and board discussion
points are recorded in your minutes from
the meeting.
• Don’t forget to record your existing good
practice, not just new work.
• If you are working in partnership, you can
use written correspondence to show you
are open to feedback.
Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs 7

3. RESPONDING TO THE CREATIVE CASE FOR DIVERSITY

Our whole organisation is driven by social impact – working with people from
deprived backgrounds and empowering them through the arts and creativity.
I firmly believe that attending an art college is not the only route to becoming
a great artist, and we should be giving more people the opportunity to explore
and progress their artistic potential.
Julie Batten, Director, People Express

3.1 Why do it
Art and culture in England should reflect Art that is relevant and engages
the diversity of contemporary society, people can be life changing. It can be
recognising the value of both what we inspirational and change people’s sense
have in common and our differences which of their place in the world.
contribute to the creative and cultural Louise Richards, Executive Director, Motionhouse
aesthetics of arts and culture in England.

Artistic and cultural programmes that reflect

the diversity, interests and passions of the The Creative Case for Diversity helps
communities they serve also provide organisations to create the conditions for
a catalyst to attract new audiences and arts and cultural programming to mirror the
inspire people to want to become more diversity of wider society. It encourages
involved in the arts. This can positively organisations to reflect on the voices, stories
impact future recruitment to your and artists that may be missing from the
workforce, boards and volunteer pools from work presented and put in place measures
communities that may have previously felt to address any historic lack of access and
excluded or under-represented in the work inequity to create a dynamic and high
presented by their local arts organisation, quality arts and cultural offer that reflects
museum or library. contemporary England.

Building relationships and mentoring

emerging artists is key, and shows
real results over the long term.
Manick Govinda, Head of Artists’ Advisory Services
& Artists’ Producer, Artsadmin
8 Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs

3.2 How it relates to the Arts

Council’s funding requirements The power of the arts to influence social
change is inestimable. Through them
The Creative Case for Diversity is an integral we learn to see life differently, we learn
part of the Arts Council’s work around Goal empathy with others, we learn how to
1, to ensure ‘Excellence is thriving and connect, appreciate and give. The arts are
celebrated across the arts, museums and our context to promote social change, to
libraries’. highlight inequality and move us
to appreciate our place in the world.
All National Portfolio Organisations, apart
DaDaFest Manifesto
from sector support organisations, are
required to demonstrate how they plan to
contribute to the Creative Case for Diversity
over the course of their funding agreement
Themes that organisations will need
either in their business plan or through their
to work on for their contribution to the
equality action plan, and receive an initial
Creative Case for Diversity 3
rating based on the plans submitted.
All National Portfolio Organisations will be
Organisations will subsequently receive an
expected to contribute across the following
annual ‘Creative Case’ performance rating
six themes:
based on their actual delivery over the past
12 months. This will be based on their work • Artistic programme: Is diversity
across six themes. embedded and reflected across the
programme of work presented over the
last 12 months, and is it a key driver
for information and shaping the artistic
There are still people who think that programme?
if something is labelled as ‘diverse’ • Development of artistic talent:
it equates to low quality, but there is Do artistic talent development initiatives
extraordinary artwork being created ensure there is support for emerging, mid-
across all artforms and by artists from career and established artists from diverse
every background that is absolutely on par backgrounds and under-represented groups,
with the work being created by others. and do they provide platforms for showcasing
Jo Verrent, Senior producer, Unlimited work from diverse artists and companies?

3
Evidence for rating contribution to the Creative Case for Diversity 2018-22
Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs 9

• Addressing the barriers to involvement: How the rating system works4

Are barriers to involvement for members National Portfolio Organisations’ contribution
of under-represented groups identified and to the Creative Case for Diversity will
overcome to support people from diverse be rated annually at one of four levels
backgrounds to realise their artistic and based on the evidence and strength of
creative talents? their contribution to the Creative Case for
• Resourcing and monitoring: Are Diversity over the last 12 months.
resources allocated so your organisation
can undertake actions to support its Over the course of the funding agreement all
contribution to the Creative Case for band 1 National Portfolio Organisations are
Diversity? And are monitoring procedures expected to achieve a minimum of a ‘met’
in place? rating and band 2 and 3 National Portfolio
Organisations will be required to achieve
• Self-evaluation: Does the board a minimum of a ‘strong’ rating by October
actively monitor delivery, evaluate its 2021. As set out in our 2018-22 relationship
effectiveness, and adjust plans and actions framework, if your organisation breaks these
where necessary? Is this information terms, or any of the terms of the funding
used to share best practice and continued agreement, in addition to feedback and
learning around diversity? discussion (which is always a first stage
• Sector leadership: Does your measure) the Arts Council may take further
organisation network and participate in action. This might include measures such as
sector-led or wider initiatives promoting increased monitoring and reporting and extra
equality and diversity in the arts and conditions being placed on grant payments.
culture sector? Does it demonstrate
local, national or international leadership
in promoting and advancing the Creative
Case for Diversity?

4
Evidence for rating contribution to the Creative Case for Diversity 2018-22
10 Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs

Without any evidence of robust and active How National Portfolio Organisations
board engagement, an organisation cannot should evidence their contribution to
be rated strong. the Creative Case for Diversity5
• Outstanding: Organisations will be National Portfolio Organisations will be
making an exceptional contribution to required to evidence on an annual basis
the Creative Case for Diversity and be how they have contributed to the Creative
recognised as leaders in the sector that Case for Diversity over the previous 12
have provided robust evidence against the months. Performance ratings will be based
‘outstanding’ criteria in the Creative Case on evidence of what organisations are
for Diversity rating framework. delivering to support the Creative Case
• Strong: This is the benchmark rating for Diversity against the planned activity
expected of all band 2 and 3 organisations identified in their business and equality
by October 2021. Organisations will action plans.
demonstrate evidence of delivering
against the relevant Creative Case for
Diversity prompts including active board
engagement and a strong artistic and
cultural programme spanning all themes.
• Met: These organisations will have
evidence of work in every theme from
at least one category. There will be
opportunities for them to improve their
contribution to the Creative Case for
Diversity across other themes.
• Not met: These organisations will
demonstrate minimal activity in response
to the Creative Case for Diversity and
will be required as a matter of priority
to address how they will improve their
contribution.

5
Evidence for rating contribution to the Creative Case for Diversity 2018-22
Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs 11

To determine a Creative Case for Diversity 3.3 How to do it

rating, Relationship Managers will look at
the following types of evidence to support We have set out below some actions
the rating they give National Portfolio your organisation might take to respond
Organisations: to the Creative Case for Diversity. While
the Creative Case for Diversity is primarily
• Experience of the organisation’s funded concerned with your creative and cultural
activity: This will include activities such programme or collections, work you
as artistic and quality assessments, Arts undertake on the programme can also help
Council England staff experience, published you identify the needs and interests of
programmes and artistic talent development groups who are under-represented in your
opportunities for diverse artists. audiences. It is therefore likely that some
• Ongoing monitoring through the of the work you undertake on the Creative
relationship framework: This will Case for Diversity will also contribute to
primarily take the form of evidence helping you reach more diverse audiences,
recorded in board papers, discussions and and similarly, work to reach more diverse
ongoing contact with your Relationship audiences will impact on your programme or
Manager, and artist led evidence such as collections.
blogs and written statements supporting
your organisation’s actions.
• The annual survey: This will primarily be Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums worked
through the narrative you provide in your with partner organisations from arts and
response to the annual survey. disability backgrounds to find new and
To support National Portfolio Organisations creative ways to represent disability.
evidence their contribution to the Creative Read more
Case for Diversity, Arts Council England
has published a helpful framework outlining
the rating prompts used by Relationship
Manchester-based Contact trains and
Managers and the evidence they use
supports four young people to work with the
to determine a Creative Case for Diversity
charity on their programming every year.
rating for National Portfolio Organisations.
Read more
Your equality action plan can help you to
develop a framework to ensure you are
capturing, recording and monitoring the
contribution your organisation is making
to the Creative Case for Diversity. This
can be shared and discussed with your
Relationship Manager.
12 Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs

• knowledge and skills to implement

Visual arts organisation DASH has established different approaches to consulting
Cultivate, a three-year mentoring programme with people from under-represented
for emerging disabled visual artists based in groups
the West Midlands. Read more o identifying opportunities for your
programming team to see new work
and engage with artists from under-
Following a major piece of research and represented groups
analysis, Derby Theatre has changed its o consulting with people who are under-
programming and is now reaching out to represented, for example by working
local Black and minority ethnic communities, with local organisations or groups who
d/Deaf people and children and young people work with under-represented groups
in care. Read more o recruiting a small number of people
from communities you want to engage
and training and supporting them to be
Effervescent in Plymouth used Lottery involved in your programming process
funding for a project working in partnership
with Barnardos to train five teenagers • Set out how you will ensure that diversity
who had lived experience of child sexual is embedded in your programme or
exploitation to be curators and artists. collections. This might include:
Read more o exploring new approaches to
commissioning, curation and
casting to ensure greater diversity
o promoting access and making
Your equality action plan should: reasonable adjustments
• Set out the actions you currently take to o developing exhibitions that specifically
promote equality and diversity in your respond to diversity issues such as age,
programme or collections. disability and socio-economic status
• Consider how you can include in the o collecting objects that reflect the
planning process the voices of people diversity of the communities you
from diverse backgrounds, particularly work with and are working to reach
those your data and evidence tells you
o presenting and interpreting existing
are under-represented in your work.
work in new ways through working
This might include: with diverse individuals and roles
o providing professional development for – e.g. artists, curators, librarians – to
the programming team that includes: make your collections more relevant
to all communities. For example, this
• comprehensive, up-to-date
might include consulting with a group
knowledge of diversity issues within
to understand how different objects
the communities you work with and
mean different things to different
are working to reach people and to capture and present
those multiple perspectives
Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs 13

• Outline how you will work in partnership • Set out how you will promote and share
with diverse led arts and cultural best practice and take a leadership role on
organisations and artists to help diversify the Creative Case for Diversity at a local,
the work you present. national or international level or across
• Ensure that any artistic talent development your artform. This might include:
initiatives are accessible to and accessed o making materials you have developed,
by people from diverse backgrounds. This such as guidelines, available to others
might include: (for example on your website)
o building your knowledge of the o speaking at conferences, festivals and
mechanisms by which you can reach other industry events
people from diverse backgrounds to o supporting and working in partnership
ensure that your selection processes with other organisations to promote
are as inclusive as possible and advance the Creative Case for
o ensuring that call outs for funding and Diversity
other application processes reach o publishing blogs, articles or other
people from diverse backgrounds. materials about your work supporting
This might include both revising your the Creative Case for Diversity
general approach, processes and
procedures, and considering whether • Detail how your board will hold the
there are specific actions you need to organisation to account for delivering the
take to ensure you reach those your actions you have set on the Creative Case
data and evidence tells you are under- for Diversity. This might include:
represented in the work you produce,
o identifying a named equality and
present, curate and distribute
diversity lead on the board
o reviewing how you currently provide
o reviewing the artistic and cultural
any development support to creative
programme presented and how it
and cultural professionals (e.g.
contributed to the Creative Case for
curators, artists, producers, writers,
Diversity
musicians, dancers and artists) and
whether there might be a case to o considering how future planned
undertake positive action under the programming activity will contribute
Equality legislation. This might, for to the Creative Case for Diversity,
example, include making additional ensuring board minutes reflect
funding available for work with discussion of progress and any
disabled artists changes that are made in response to
reviewing the contribution made to the
• Consider how you might develop a Creative Case for Diversity
pathway that supports people from
diverse backgrounds to move to higher Find out more about responding to the
levels of production. Creative Case for Diversity in our
Useful links and resources section.
14 Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs

4. REACHING DIVERSE AUDIENCES

4.2 How it relates to Arts Council
Audience development is not a one- funding requirements
off activity. It’s easy to get a diverse
The Arts Council’s goal is that ‘Everyone
audience for a single project, but real
has the opportunity to experience, and be
change only happens when you cultivate
inspired by, the arts, museums and libraries’
relationships with local communities
(Goal 2). To support this, all National Portfolio
over the long term.
Organisations must include an audience
David Bryan, Xtend plan as part of their overall business plan,
and the audience plan needs to consider
how organisations will reach audiences from
If you have a building, don’t limit yourself diverse backgrounds.
to it. Your building might be your hub,
Organisations at band 2 and 3, and all
but you need to find ways to reach
organisations working with young people,
beyond it using a range of opportunities
also need to set out how their organisation
and ways for people to engage.
will support the Arts Council’s ambition
Louise Richards, Executive Director, Motionhouse that ‘Every child and young person has the
opportunity to experience the richness of
the arts, museums and libraries’ (Goal 5).
4.1 Why do it
Everyone should be able to experience
and be inspired by great art, museums Artist Jessica Voorsanger led a flash mob
and libraries. Not only because we believe singing and dancing to the theme of Men in
it is right and fair, but because audiences Black down the high street and into 20-21
that reflect the diversity of our country will Visual Arts Centre in Scunthorpe to attract
ensure that art and culture are relevant and people who wouldn’t normally visit the
sustainable in the future. gallery. Read more

Attracting people from diverse backgrounds

doesn’t just grow the audience; they bring
As part of its aim to increase and diversify
different voices and perspectives to our
the audience for contemporary craft,
artistic and cultural life. Furthermore, sharing
the Crafts Council’s regular Craft Club
cultural experiences brings communities
newsletter has different editors, including
together and can build pride in where people
editors from diverse backgrounds, and uses
live, work and play, contributing to work on
imagery that promotes the involvement of
shared agendas.
people from diverse backgrounds in crafting.
Read more
Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs 15

We want organisations to work towards

developing and engaging audiences that
Touring dance company Motionhouse
are representative of the population in the
worked with local authorities, festivals and
geographic area their audience is drawn
touring agencies to reach audiences who
from. This is not about setting crude targets,
often don’t engage in cultural activities
but about finding ways to engage people
because of lack of availability and price.
in your work who are currently under-
Read more
represented in your audience.

The work you do should be integrated with

The Audience Agency has created Audience your wider audience development plan
Finder, a suite of tools that is available for which the Audience Agency’s Guide to
free to arts and culture organisations. The Audience Development Planning (external
tools include Audience Spectrum profiles, link) can help you develop.
the mapping tool which shows you the
make-up of your local population, and
the Audience Development Planner, an
online wizard which guides you through the
steps of analysing your current audience
and planning to develop it. The Audience
Agency can also provide an Area Profile
Report which helps you find out about the
demographics and cultural engagement of
your local population.

The Insight pages on The Audience Agency

website include a wealth of searchable
resources from case studies to guides.
Read more
16 Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs

Your equality action plan should: • Identify the audiences that you will target
• Set out your potential audience based on to increase engagement.
the population profile in the geographic • Set SMART objectives for any work you
area your audience is drawn from. need to undertake in order to better
The Audience Agency has developed understand how you can reach and
Audience Finder and Audience Spectrum engage with your target audiences. You
to help. Other sources of information will want to understand what factors
might include primary research (research affect whether, or how often, they come
you carry out yourself), and secondary to your activities, and what the barriers
research (research already carried out by are. Activities might include:
others), and possibly Mosaic where this o collecting any existing evidence about
may be made available to you through this audiences’ shared similarities,
your local authority. interests or needs
• Compare what you know about your actual o creating opportunities for consultation
audience to the profile of the population and feedback from people in your
in the geographic area your audience is target audiences. This might include
drawn from and identify where there are attending meetings of local groups or
gaps. You can join the free Audience even holding your own focus groups,
Finder to help you carry out analysis of where you have the skills and feel
your box office, survey and postcode data, comfortable doing so. Read more on
and to provide comparative benchmarks. how to run a focus group
The Audience Agency can advise you on
how, and on joining the programme if you o exploring what media – in its broadest
have not already done so. You can contact sense – people from the groups you
[email protected] want to target use, and which might
or the support desk on 020 7620 2505 for provide a good route to engaging
support. You can also use with them
o your own box office data analysis • Consider how you might adapt and
o data from surveys you have undertaken develop your programme to increase
engagement. In addition to working with
o qualitative research – this might include your local community, Section 3 on
work by others (such as the local Responding to the Creative Case for
authority) or work your organisation has Diversity includes suggestions for how
undertaken, such as focus groups you can embed diversity into your planning
process and programme.
Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs 17

• Ensure that your marketing reaches • Identify how you can make your activities
diverse audiences. This might include: more accessible. Audience Spectrum
o using information such as data from includes a range of advice, strategies
Audience Spectrum to enable you to and tactics for engaging different groups.
target specific groups with information Approaches might include:

o ensuring the language you use in o making collections, stories or

all your materials is inclusive. For performances available online, or in
example, change from talking about different formats, that reflect the needs
people’s disabilities to talking about and preferences of the audience you
what you offer – e.g. captioned are working to reach
performances, BSL interpreter, o telling people how they can get
induction loop, etc involved, for example as volunteers
o ensuring that all your materials, o holding activities in venues that your
from your website to your leaflets, target audience already uses, such
reflect best practice in accessibility as a local community centre
and are available in large print and o holding activities outdoors, as evidence
alternative formats shows that outdoor events attract a
o creating marketing materials in wide-ranging and diverse audience
different formats to reach audiences more representative of the population
who might not see or access more as a whole
traditional materials, for example o inviting schools to come and see
video trailers of your programme dress rehearsals
o marketing across a range of formats, o ensuring that tickets are accessible to
including social media, emails and economically disadvantaged groups
tweets, texts, physical mail, printed and individuals
posters and flyers
o if you know that there is a price barrier,
using variable pricing to attract your
target audience – for example targeting
a particular road or area with leaflets
that include a discount
o going to spaces where your target
groups live, work and socialise
o establishing relationships with non-
arts organisations in your target
communities, such as housing
associations and mental health
organisations and promoting
your work through them
18 Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs

Tips for collecting monitoring information • Follow good practice in the recruitment
and training of your interviewers –
Monitoring audience demographics, as
see the Audience Agency’s Guide.
well as their response to your work, is
essential to understanding who you are • Consider offering an incentive, for
reaching, whether your plans are working, example a prize draw (this requires you
and how you might need to adjust them. to collect people’s contact information).
However, it can be challenging to do this in a Be sure that anything you offer will be
meaningful, practical and robust way. equally attractive to all.
The Audience Finder survey is available to • Reassure people that their information will
help all National Portfolio Organisations do be treated confidentially.
this, and band 3 organisations are expected to • Analyse identity data alongside customer
submit monitoring information using Audience satisfaction or other information that might
Finder or the Audience Finder format. help continuous improvement.
The only robust and ethical way to measure • Publicise on your website and in other
diversity is to survey a relevant sample of materials what you have improved as a
your audience and ask them to self-identify. result of your survey.
Some tips for doing this are:
Read more tips for improving survey
• Explain to your staff why it is important response rates.
and how people’s data will be used, so
they can encourage people and answer See the Audience Agency’s
any questions. example questionnaire.

• Clearly set out why you need the

information and how you will use it.
• Do all that you can to get a sample of
the right size that is as representative as
possible of your audience. The Audience
Agency has a Good Practice Guide for
Sampling. Approaches you might use
include:
• ensuring your survey is
in an accessible format
• using interviewers or targeted
communications
Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs 19

The Engagement Mix

The Engagement Mix brings together the Equality and diversity needs leadership
traditional ‘P’s of marketing practice with from the top of the organisation. Our
the ‘C’s of community engagement, to Executive Director doesn’t just take an
involve people in decision-making, creative interest, he challenges us all the time
participation, exploration and dialogue to do better. As a result, equality and
engagement. You should consider all diversity have become something we
elements of the mix in your work to reach automatically think about.
audiences from diverse backgrounds. Claire Hawk, HR Director, English National Ballet
Programme/product – critically, be clear
about what aspects of your programme are
aimed at different target audiences.
Unless people know there is genuine
Place – where activities take place, at what support at the top of the organisation,
times, how people access them, booking whenever they are making decisions
facilities, etc, and social space. Touring where they feel there might be a risk,
companies have a powerful advantage in people default to the ‘norm’ and make
being able to select the right place for the ‘safe’ decisions that reinforce existing
right audiences. practices and disadvantages.
Price – the right price and pricing approach, Zoe Dennington, Learning and Participation manager, The Craft
or free, for your target audience (including
premium/discounts/offers). Data analysis/
market testing will be more effective than We shouldn’t always go for ‘the usual
straight research in helping you understand suspects’. There are people who
how different audiences respond. would make excellent board members,
Promotion – online and offline channels and but don’t yet have the relevant skills
methods to communicate opportunities to or experience. As a sector and as
engage. individual organisations, we need to
be helping them to develop the skills,
Community involvement – forums for
and supporting them to participate by
decision-making, volunteering etc.
adapting how we work.
Content – creative or exploratory content: Mike Layward, Artistic Director, Dash
live, online etc.
This is an extract from the Audience
Agency’s Creating an Effective Audience
There’s a high turnover of staff in the arts
Development Plan.
and culture sector. If you want to have a
Find out more about reaching diverse diverse senior management team, you
audiences in our Useful links and have to invest in the people you recruit
resources section. and support their development, so you
are developing them for senior roles.
Manick Govinda, Head of Artist Development, Artsadmin
20 Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs

5. BUILDING BOARDS THAT LEAD ON EQUALITY

AND DIVERSITY
5.1 Why do it 5.2 How it relates to Arts Council
investment requirements
Boards and individual board members have
increasing expectations placed on them Organisations in band 1 need to include
in terms of their role and expertise. Rarely in their business plan SMART objectives
can one board member, or even several showing how they will ensure their board
members with the same background and reflects the diversity of the audiences and
skill set, fulfil all of the necessary functions. communities they are working with and
Boards therefore need a range of skills, working to reach.
experience, aptitudes and perspectives to
be most effective. Organisations in bands 2 and 3 and
Sector Support Organisations must:
Boards that recruit in a mirror image of
• ensure their board has the necessary skills
themselves run the risk of limiting their
and experience to meet their aims around
perspective and skills. There is growing
diversity
evidence of the correlation between genuine
diversity at board level and better decision • make sure that, by December 2021,
making, and between genuine diversity and their board reflects the diversity of the
greater financial sustainability. The most audiences and communities they are
effective boards are diverse in skills, outlook working with and working to reach,
and experience. including membership from protected
characteristic groups
As the culture of an organisation is driven
and modelled by senior leaders, a diverse In terms of Creative Case for Diversity
board sends a powerful message and ratings, without sufficient evidence of
sets a clear example for the rest of the effective board engagement an organisation
organisation. cannot be rated strong.

The board also has a critical role in providing The board signs the funding agreement
leadership for the agenda so that it with the Arts Council and is accountable
permeates the organisation at every level for their organisation’s delivery against the
and across your activities, including artistic agreement, including delivery of the equality
and cultural programme, audiences and action plan and/or objectives.
workforce. The board is also responsible
for holding people to account to ensure
equality and diversity actions, such as the
Arts Council’s requirement to diversify your
workforce, are being met.
Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs 21

FTSE 350 companies have increased

the gender diversity of boards through a
combination of strategies, including setting
aspirational targets, using positive action
to improve the diversity of the candidate
pool and offering training, development and
leadership programmes. Read more

Opera North has an equality, diversity

and inclusion committee that champions
diversity throughout the organisation, with
a focus on improving representation and
inclusion within audiences, communications,
programme and workforce. Read more

The Arts Council’s Culture Change Guide

includes information on how to improve your
recruitment and retention practice, from
designing a person specification to carrying
out performance appraisals. Read more

Phoenix Dance Theatre, arts organisation

Contact, and Liverpool Arts Regeneration
Consortium have each developed their own
approaches to ensuring they have diverse
boards. Read more

Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust’s

equality and diversity policy clearly sets out
the responsibilities of the board and senior
individuals in the organisation in relation to
equality and diversity. Read more.
22 Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs

5.1 Why do it • Ensure that new and existing board

members are clear about your
Your equality action plan should: organisation’s commitment to and
• Set out how diverse your board ambitions for equality, diversity and
currently is. inclusivity, and that the board as a whole
has the necessary skills and experience to
• Ensure your recruitment process enables meet those ambitions. This might include:
you to attract and appoint more diverse
candidates to the board. This might o using a board assessment tool to
include: identify the mix of skills and experience
you need and where there are gaps
o refreshing the job description and
person specification for board o ensuring that job descriptions and
members to ensure it doesn’t exclude recruitment processes don’t focus on
those from unconventional career a narrow set of skills and experience
trajectories, with different journeys, – e.g. finance – but leave out other
ways of thinking and personal styles, necessary skills on the board such as
and ensuring that the language it uses community engagement
is inclusive o being explicit in job descriptions about
o ensuring that the recruitment process the expectations of all board members
reaches a wide range of potential in relation to equality and diversity
candidates through broad and targeted o discussing inclusiveness, as well as
advertising rather than creating board member expectations, when
a closed approach – for example interviewing new board prospects
because of an over-reliance on personal
o including a section in the orientation
networks
pack for new board members on
o providing training in good recruitment equality and diversity
practice and avoiding unconscious
bias for those involved in the • Review how the board currently works
recruitment process and how its processes can be made more
flexible and inclusive. This might include:
o including team members at different
levels to participate in the interview o changing the time or location of board
process meetings, or holding meetings by
Skype, to make it easier for people
o designing your appointment process to
with different commitments to attend
test people’s thinking, judgement and
approach, not just their CV, networks o providing access support and other
or profile support people might need to
participate, for example travel and
childcare costs
Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs 23

o putting in extra support that enables • Set a clear timeframe for reviewing
people to fully participate, such as progress against equality and diversity
providing a briefing with the head of objectives at board meetings. This might
finance about the finance papers in include:
advance, or providing information in o including equality and diversity on the
different formats agenda at every board meeting
o changing the format of meetings – o ensuring it is included on the agenda
board meetings often have a format when you expect to hit milestones in
that puts young people off your equality action plan, so you can
o introducing shorter terms of office report on progress against these
that might work better for younger o including discussion of the contribution
members to the Creative Case for Diversity as
• Set SMART objectives for increasing part of any review or discussion of
diversity on your board. This should recent work
include thinking about which protected
characteristics are most relevant to you,
your audiences and your community.
For example, this may mean trying to
ensure that your board is reflective of the
community your audience is drawn from.
It may also mean that if you are working
to develop your audience in terms of, for
example, age, gender or disability, you
initially focus on those characteristics.

• Ensure leadership for the equality and

diversity agenda within your organisation.
This might include:
o identifying a named equality and
diversity lead on the board
o ensuring that actions relating to
equality and diversity are
appropriately resourced
o communicating your equality and
diversity objectives and work to staff
at all levels within your organisation
24 Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs

Tips for increasing board diversity • identifying the protected characteristics

• Think beyond ‘representation’ which can that are most relevant to you, your
lead to tokenism. No one wants to be there audience, and community, and which you
to fill a quota, or to represent people from a therefore need to reflect on your board or
particular background – nor is anyone able management team
to represent an entire subsection of the • setting succession planning objectives
population. Simply recruiting people based which aim to increase the diversity of the
on their diversity can distort the importance management team
of recruiting individuals with the skills • identifying ways to increase diversity of
and experience that best meets your the management team now, for example
organisation’s needs and can also lead to a through setting up advisory panels made
tick box mindset that is not really open to up of diverse representatives
the skills and experiences board members
from diverse backgrounds can bring. • developing inclusive and/or targeted
recruitment strategies which would be put
o Expand your ‘pipeline’. Many in place should a member of staff resign
organisations are already continuously
developing and nurturing relationships • setting objectives for diversifying the pool
with potential board members. This of volunteers, if appropriate
might include establishing relationships Find out more about building boards that
with partner organisations such as the lead on equality and diversity in our
NHS and local charities. Useful links and resources section.
o Create pathways to the board for
your volunteers. These are people
who are already committed to and
engaged in your work.
Diversity is more than numerical
o Put development support in place
representation – if BAME people are
for potential board members to
not treated fairly and not made to feel
develop the skills and experience
welcome, then they are not likely to
needed.
apply for posts within the sector.
• Support people to contribute widely. Melody Walker, Development Co-ordinator, Phoenix Dance Theatre
People from diverse backgrounds are there
as full board members, so encourage their
voices across all issues, not just those We need to move beyond thinking
related to equality and diversity. that a diverse workforce is just about
recruitment, to thinking about how we
Tips for small organisations
create a working environment where
Organisations with a small staff team and people from different backgrounds can
low turnover can still plan to ensure their flourish.
management team remains or becomes
Hannah Mason, Change maker Associate, The Art House
diverse in the future. This could include:
Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs 25

6. RECRUITING AND RETAINING A DIVERSE WORKFORCE

6.1 Why do it? 6.2 How it relates to Arts Council
funding requirements
Although arts and cultural organisations
are making progress, we know that the In their business plan, all National Portfolio
workforce still doesn’t fully reflect the wider Organisations must set out how they will
diversity of England. Disabled people in support the Arts Council’s ambition that
particular continue to be significantly ‘The leadership and workforce in the arts,
under-represented at all levels across the museums and libraries are diverse and
sector, while women and people from Black appropriately skilled’ (Goal 4).
and minority ethnic groups continue to be
under-represented at more senior levels 5. National Portfolio Organisations in band 1
must include SMART objectives in their
We want the leadership and workforce of business plan showing how they plan to
the arts and cultural sector to reflect the diversify their workforce. All other National
diversity of the country and to ensure that Portfolio Organisations (band 2 and 3
there are fair routes to entry and career organisations, Bridge Organisations and
progression. Museum Development Providers) must
provide an equality action plan that includes
A diverse workforce brings many benefits. SMART objectives setting out how they will
Recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce diversify their workforce.
can help your organisation to improve its
performance and become more sustainable. One of the Arts Council’s markers for
By recruiting from a diverse pool of talent, success is that ‘the leadership and
you can attract the most able people. And workforce of the arts and cultural sector
by having staff from diverse backgrounds – and especially the organisations that
at every level and in every function of we invest in – reflect the diversity of the
your organisation, your organisation will country, indicating that there are fair routes
become more agile in how it works, as each to entry and progression’.
individual brings in their way of thinking,
operating, solving problems and decision
making. A more diverse staff team will
also feed into the culture and thinking of
the organisation, meaning you are better
positioned to understand and engage with
artists and audiences in a more compelling
and authentic way.

6
Findings of the annual survey reported in Equality, Diversity and the Creative Case 2015-2016,
Arts Council England, 2017
26 Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs

6.3 How to do it Organisations need a culture of good

employment practice that not only
addresses recruitment but supports you
to retain and develop staff. This will help
Using methods that could be applied to you create an inclusive culture in which
other protected characteristic groups, Royal staff from all backgrounds can flourish and
Mail has increased the number of women contribute their best to your organisation.
applicants and women appointed to frontline
roles without changing its policy that all To do this you will need to take action on:
candidates are treated on merit. Read more o monitoring
o recruitment
o retention
Charity and housing association St Mungo’s
has won an award for its work to address o progression
over-representation of Black, Asian and
Your equality action plan should:
minority ethnic employees in lower paid
roles and under-representation at senior • Set out the demographics of the
levels. Read more geographic area your staff is drawn from
– this might include information from:
o Mosaic
Unconscious bias is when people favour o national census information
others who look like them and/or share
their values. For example, a person may be o secondary research
drawn to someone with a similar educational o primary research
background, from the same area, or who
is the same colour or ethnicity as them. • Use findings from the staff survey
It can influence decisions in recruitment, to analyse how well the staff you
promotion and performance management employ reflect the demographics of the
and could be discriminatory when the geographic area your staff are drawn from.
unconscious bias relates to a protected You might analyse this information in
characteristic. Read more terms of:
o monitoring – are there challenges in
collecting the data and how does this
Recruiting volunteers from diverse affect what you know about your staff?
backgrounds not only increases the pool of o recruitment – how diverse are
volunteers available to support your work, applicants to your organisation and
but creates a pathway for people from those how many of them are successful in
backgrounds to become your employees. being appointed?
Read more
Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs 27

o retention – is there any difference • Identify actions you will take to attract
between how long staff from diverse and appoint diverse applicants.
backgrounds stay in your organisation This might include:
compared to others? o ensuring that job descriptions and
o progression – is there only diversity person specifications use language
in pockets within the organisation, and criteria that do not unnecessarily
e.g. staff from diverse backgrounds at exclude people from diverse
lower levels, but few staff from those backgrounds whose qualifications,
backgrounds in more senior roles? experience and career may be
structured differently – e.g. by requiring
• Identify actions you will take to increase applicants to have a degree where this
the number of staff completing the staff is not necessary to the performance of
survey and reduce the number of those the role
identifying as ‘prefer not to say’. This
might include: o making it clear that equality and
diversity monitoring forms are not seen
o consulting with staff to understand the by the interview panel and have no
reasons for low return rates and how impact on the recruitment process
these could be addressed
o ensuring that job opportunities are
o including a clear statement of why the advertised in a broad range of places,
information is needed and how it will for example, through local community
be used centres and partner organisations
o including a helpline number people can o explicitly stating in advertising and
call, or other forms of support such as recruitment materials that your
online, that people can access for more organisation welcomes applicants from
information diverse backgrounds
o revising the process to ensure staff o if you are using a recruitment firm,
are confident that their information setting a requirement around diversity
will remain confidential. For example, of candidates that they submit to you
keeping the monitoring form separate
from someone’s personnel file – just o making sure everyone involved in
indicate on the person’s file that you the recruitment process is trained on
have it. Processes that protect people’s equality and diversity, unconscious
anonymity are likely to be particularly bias, inclusion, and other relevant
important in smaller organisations employment and legal issues

o reporting back on findings and what o considering whether you might be able
the organisation is doing as a result to use apprenticeships, changemakers
or other roles which can help to make it
a more level playing field for entry into
the workforce
28 Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs

• Identify actions you will take to EQUALITY ACTION PLAN CHECKLIST

promote an inclusive culture within your (this list is not exhaustive)
organisation. This might include:
General
o identifying any approaches used
by organisations in your network Have you:
or others that are working well and • Provided a context which sets out
that you might adopt within your your current position on equality
own organisation and diversity ❏
o ensuring that all policies and • Identified the protected characteristics
procedures reflect legislation and you will focus on and why ❏
best practice in relation to equality
and diversity, and that staff have • Set SMART objectives for your plan
confidence in them and in HR which include: ❏
procedures o The actions you will take, who is
o providing equality and diversity training responsible, and the timeframe
to all staff and your board o How you will monitor and review
o ensuring that there is equitable access your impact
to training and development and to o How you will evidence your work
career development for all employees and share your learning
o observing diverse traditions,
celebrations and holidays from Responding to the Creative Case
other cultures for Diversity
o finding ways to give profile to people Have you:
from diverse backgrounds as role • Made clear how you will consult with
models, particularly those in senior diverse and under-represented groups to
management positions, to evidence understand barriers in relation to
progression in your organisation, and your programme, people and work
giving those who are open to sharing to develop artistic talent ❏
their journeys an open platform for
doing so • Set out how you will diversify your
programme, collections or exhibitions ❏
Find out more about building and • Identified actions to ensure you work
sustaining a diverse staff team in our with creative and cultural professionals
Useful links and resources section. from diverse backgrounds ❏
• Set out how you will ensure any artistic
talent development initiatives reach
people from diverse backgrounds ❏
Guide to producing Equality Action Objectives and Plans for NPOs 29

• Detailed how your board will ensure • Developed ways of making sure
delivery of your plans and monitor new and existing board/management
their impact ❏ members are clear on equality and
• Shown how you will promote and diversity commitments ❏
share best practice on the Creative • Looked at how you will develop board/
Case for Diversity ❏ management team processes to ensure
• Clearly set out how you will evidence that they are flexible and inclusive ❏
all of the above ❏ • Specified ways to show how the
board will lead on the equality and
Reaching diverse audiences diversity agenda ❏
Have you:
Recruiting and retaining a diverse
• Given detail on the population workforce
profile of the area your audience
is drawn from Have you:
❏
• Set up monitoring processes and any • Included information on the
other approaches you might take to demographics of the geographic area
understand your actual audience your staff is drawn from ❏
and how it compares to the • Shown how you have analysed your staff
population profile ❏ survey to see how your current staff at all
• Specified action to address any gaps levels of your organisation reflect the
in audience reach demographics of the geographic area ❏
❏
• Outlined how you will consult • Identified any gaps and then specified
with under-represented groups to action to attract/retain people from
identify and address barriers to diverse backgrounds at all levels of
their participation your organisation ❏
❏
• Included action on your marketing • Developed action to encourage people
reach to more diverse audiences from diverse backgrounds to volunteer
❏
in your organisation ❏
• Identified how you will make your
activities more accessible • Set out how you will address any equality
❏
and diversity monitoring challenges, such
Building boards that lead on equality as high numbers of ‘prefer not to say’
and diversity or low response rates in some areas ❏
Have you: • Outlined your plans for equality and
diversity training, career development
• Set out action on how you will recruit
and inclusive work practices ❏
a more diverse board/management
team ❏
© Arts Council England 2017

People who have helped us to

develop the guidance
We would like to thank all the individuals
and organisations who gave their time and
shared materials to help us develop this
guidance:

• Britannia Morton, Sadler’s Wells

• Catherine Bourke, Opera North
• Clare Hawk, English National Ballet
• Clare Purcell, Contemprorary Arts in
Unusual Places
• David Bryan, Xtend
• Hannah Mason, The Art House
• Hilary Foster, Third Angel
• Jane Bailey, Motion House
• Jennifer Pattison, Philharmonia Orchestra
• Jo Verrent, Unlimited
• Julie Batten, People Express
• Louise Richards, Motionhouse
• Lynetter Shanbury, Spare tyre
• Manick Govinda, Artsadmin
• Michelle Lally, 2021 visual arts centre
• Mike Layward, DASH,
Disability Arts Shropshire
• Richard Nutter, DaDaFest
• Suzie Henderson, Contact
• Melody Walker, Phoenix Dance Theatre
• Rachel Clare, Crying Out Loud
• Zoe Dennington, Crafts Council