The EDI team supports Creative Scotland to reflect the increasing diversity of Scotland’s people and communities in the funding we distribute, the decisions we make, the knowledge and evidence we gather and share, and the makeup of our organisation.
If you want to know about access support, please visit our Access Support page.
If you want to access resources and information to help you understand and deliver against Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion as a strategic priority and funding criteria please visit the Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Priority page.
What we do
The EDI Team are a strategic team within Creative Scotland. We deliver multiple large, cross-sectoral targeted programmes that address historic exclusion, alongside working with colleagues to mainstream EDI within Creative Scotland.
Our core objectives are:
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Compliance
Ensuring that Creative Scotland complies with the Equality Act 2010, the Public Sector Equality Duty, the Fairer Scotland Duty and all other EDI related statutory obligations through our programmes, processes and policies
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Equality Outcomes
Setting Equality Outcomes with Creative Scotland leadership and EDI Advisory Group every four years. Read more about our Equality Outcomes.
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Mainstreaming Reporting
Producing a Mainstreaming Report related to these outcomes every two years, including Gender Pay Gap reporting (every 2 years) and Equal Pay Statement (every 4 years). Read our mainstreaming reports.
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EDI Strategic Priority and Funding Criteria
Leading on embedding Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion as one of Creative Scotland’s six strategic priorities and a core funding criterion. Read more about this on our Funding Criteria page.
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Planning, Communication and Reporting
Supporting the annual planning process across the organisation to ensure EDI priorities are reflected.
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Policy Development and Review
Ensuring robust EDI policies are implemented and reviewed and supporting colleagues to carry out Equality Impact Assessments on new policies, programmes and funds.
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Knowledge of Protected Characteristics and Lived Experience
Considering lived experience such as forced migration, mental health, care experience and minoritised languages alongside protected characteristics in EDI policy and strategy development.
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EDI Advisory Group
Recruiting, co-ordinating and facilitating the work of our EDI Advisory Group, made up of individuals with lived and professional experience of equalities, diversity and inclusion issues who provide critical reflection and feedback on our work.
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Staff Learning, Development and Support
Develop and deliver EDI related training, development, internal resources, planning processes and working groups for Creative Scotland staff.
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Strategic and Targeted Projects
Delivering strategic projects and interventions in partnership to prevent discrimination, address inequality and foster positive relationships between people with different protected characteristics across the arts, screen and creative industries.
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Promoting Best Practice
Promoting and encouraging best EDI practice of those receiving our funds through our funding agreements, information and resources.
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Access Support
Providing support to d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent applicants such as application completeness checks and/or costs for services to help applicants overcome barriers to applying for Creative Scotland funds.
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Monitoring
Monitoring the diversity of our applicants and funding beneficiaries, annual EDI plans and end of project reports.
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Reporting and Governance
Providing regular reports to working groups, Senior Leadership Team and Board.
What we don’t do
The EDI team are not able to meet individuals or organisations to provide direct advice on EDI legislation and responsibilities. We also cannot carry out investigations or intervene where individuals feel their rights have not been upheld by an organisation or project that receives funding from us.
As a public body, Creative Scotland funded organisations are carrying out public functions and therefore share our Public Sector Equality Duty.
Organisations seeking advice on their duties under the Equality Act 2010 and Public Sector Equality Duty should visit the Public Sector Equality Duty page on the EHRC website.
Individuals seeking advice about their rights should visit the Equality Advisory and Support Service.
Who we work with
We collaborate with internal colleagues, sector bodies and organisations, funders, voluntary organisations, people in receipt of targeted funds and those that we work in partnership with. This is alongside our general funding work as part of the 50+ funds Creative Scotland supports.
How we work
In our sector facing work, we focus on initiatives that will have a wide impact. It is critical to the success of our work that we operate from a strategic perspective with a broad overview, which means we cannot work at an individual, programme or operational level with those we fund.
We are a small team with a wide remit which means that we are not able to attend meetings with individuals to discuss their experiences, offer advice on personal challenges or offer wellbeing and mental health support directly.
Artform teams and programme officers help deliver EDI and understand how it relates to funding and any organisations for which they act as Lead Officer, so you can also connect directly with the relevant artform team. Their contact details can be found on our Staff Contacts page.
EDI Targeted Projects and Partnerships
The priority areas for our targeted projects and partnerships are:
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Access, visibility and leadership of under-represented artists and creative practitioners
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Networks, infrastructures and organisations that centre or support under-represented people and practices
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Research into equalities, diversity and inclusion challenges in the sector, and recommendations for addressing them
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Arts and Health
Our current major projects and partnerships include:
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All In – delivering audience access with Arts Council England, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Arts Council Wales
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Create:Inclusion – evaluation of the previous fund with TIALT and fund refresh to increase diversity in the arts, screen and creative industries
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Participatory Arts and Mental Health – evaluation and needs analysis following funded projects to inform Arts & Mental Health strategy for Scotland
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The Baring Foundation – supported development of and Arts & Mental Health strategy for Scotland
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Unlimited – commissions for Scottish disabled artists
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and a range of organisations delivering projects to address exclusion of marginalised groups
Connecting with the Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Team
Our contact page includes information on how to get in touch as well as access support and FAQs. Visit our Contact Us page.
We are planning a quarterly open access session, with prior registration, to offer access to the EDI team in a sustainable and accessible way. We will update this page and our social media channels with information of these sessions.
Outside of our essential funding cycles, we can meet individuals and organisations that have identified a specific EDI challenge in their sector and potential solutions/projects that will benefit a sector or community.
Our development work is planned up to a year in advance, so we are unlikely to be able to partner or support any new activity until at least the following financial year, which runs from April to March.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team contacts
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Name |
Role |
Email Address |
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Kim Simpson* |
Head of Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion |
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Access Support |
EDI officers providing access support to applicants. |
*Kim works with a support worker who coordinates her diary and manages her inbox. Emails you send to Kim may be read by her support worker. You may get emails from Kim’s support worker on Kim’s behalf. Kim’s support worker’s email address is [email protected].