Equalities

Working to bring the arts closer to everyone in Scotland, whoever and wherever they are.

Career Development Fund A new fund from the Scottish Arts Council is aimed at encouraging under represented groups including black and minority ethnic (BME) and disabled practitioners to build a sustainable career in the arts.

The Equalities team at the Scottish Arts Council has recently changed. To contact a member of the team, e-mail them on firstname.surname [at] scottisharts.org.uk

Equalities Officer (Arts & Disability) - Robert Softley

We believe that disability has to be in our thinking for everything we do, from the design of our application process to the expectations we place on the arts organisations we core fund, to provide access for all.

Equalities Officer (Arts & Health) - Robbie McGhee

The contribution of the arts to physical and mental health and wellbeing is well recognised within the arts sector, and is now beginning to be widely acknowledged within the health sector. We have formed a number of significant partnerships to promote the arts within the health sector. This reinforces our view of the role the arts play in enhancing health and wellbeing.

The Scottish Arts Council recognises Scotland’s diversity and wishes to reflect this in everything we do and everything we fund. We are working to end unfair discrimination because of age, disability, gender, race, religion/belief, and sexual orientation.

As we move towards the formation of the new culture body for Scotland, Creative Scotland, we have made Equalities a priority policy area.  We intend to mainstream Equalities into all areas of our activities for the benefit of all those who take part in the arts and culture of Scotland, whether as employer, arts worker, professional artist, curator, producer, marketer, audience member, or as someone who participates in the arts. 

The Equalities department’s aims are:

• to facilitate access to the arts for everyone in Scotland – as artist, as arts worker and as audience member - aiming to overcome physical, intellectual, attitudinal, financial and cultural barriers to access to the arts.
• to visibly promote diversity in the arts – diversity meaning cultural diversity, but also disability, age, gender, religious belief and sexual orientation.
• to further develop the arts in health and wellbeing sector in Scotland, highlighting the benefits to individuals’ mental health and community wellbeing.
• to develop, support and sustain a more diverse infrastructure for the arts in Scotland through developing organisations’ capacity to deliver Equalities
• to provide leadership through best practice in our own organisation.

We will deliver our aims through a strategic programme of funding; working in partnership with key arts organisations and others to deliver arts programmes; offering training and career development opportunities; facilitating organisational development; and ensuring increased access.  This should lead to greater visibility and availability of diverse and vibrant high quality arts in Scotland.