Diversity and Inclusion Fund 2022/23

Amplifying ethnically diverse voices, narratives and perspectives in Edinburgh’s arts and culture sector

Edinburgh has recently been recognised as the most diverse city in Scotland according to Scotland’s Census 2021. The Diversity and Inclusion Fund aims to ensure this diversity is encouraged, facilitated, and celebrated across the city as outlined in The City of Edinburgh Council’s Citywide Cultural Strategy 2023-2030. This resource offers an opportunity for exploration and innovation to ethnically diverse artists and creatives who wish to share their voices and celebrate their heritage, explore intercultural dialogue and provide spaces and experiences for diverse residents to engage with arts and culture by including different languages, forms of creative expression, and engagement models.

The Diversity and Inclusion Fund seeks to support the work and narratives of ethnically diverse artists and creatives which have been developed and delivered through multi-art form collaborations and partnerships. It reflects feedback from previous applicants, fund recipients and network members. With the aim of embedding and mainstreaming the work in mind, this fund supports greater visibility and recognition of projects designed and managed by ethnically diverse artists and creatives for the benefit of participants, audiences and the arts and culture industry at large. It seeks to invest in Edinburgh-based talent and promote the diversity of thought, ideas and expression rooted in cultural identities.

Edinburgh-based ethnically diverse artists and creatives are invited to apply for funding in partnership with other creative practitioners and arts and culture organisations to develop and deliver imaginative and/or experimental creative concepts that reflect their interpretation, experience and sharing of arts, culture and heritage.

The support offered by this fund is using positive action to promote equality as reflected in the Equality Act 2010. In the light of the Creative Scotland’s recognition of ‘a major gap in BAME-led arts in Scotland’, the City of Edinburgh Council identified ethnicity as one of protected characteristics that lead to disadvantage across all service areas, arts and culture being no exception. In response to continued feedback from creative practitioners based in Edinburgh which has highlighted a lack of diversity and representation in mainstream programming and cultural offering, this fund seeks to make inroads into addressing underrepresentation of ethnically diverse artists and creatives in our city.

PURPOSE OF SCHEME

Grants will be awarded to projects that promote greater partnership and collaboration between minority ethnic artists/practitioners, independent creatives and/or Edinburgh-based cultural organisations. Projects should reach, involve, benefit and engage ethnically diverse artists/creative practitioners and cultural organisations based in Edinburgh.

The fund is intended to support projects and activities, including development and delivery of creative work and cultural events, that utilise one or multiple art forms, such as visual and performing arts (music, dance, spoken word and theatre), film, digital arts, literature and poetry, to promote greater collaboration and partnerships between ethnically diverse artists and creatives, other independent practitioners and cultural organisations in Edinburgh.  Priority will be given to quality multi art form projects.

CRITERIA

We invite applications from ethnically diverse artists and creatives and organisations which meet the following criteria:

• they recognise the need for greater representation and visibility of ethnically diverse work and narratives in the arts, culture and heritage sector;
• they have a clear vision for their joint project, its outcomes and learning;
• they present a mutually beneficial partnership / collaborative working model;
• they commit to continuing and /or increasing engagement with groups and communities often underrepresented in the arts and culture sector.

PRIORITIES

Individuals and organisations wishing to apply for a grant from the Diversity and Inclusion Fund must be able to demonstrate how their project meets two or more of the following funding priorities:

1. Meaningful ethnically diverse artist/practitioner lead involvement and direction in project development and delivery;
2. Imaginative and/or experimental creative concept;
3. Partnership/collaboration working - a City and Culture Plan funding priority; and
4. Use of multi art forms within projects;
5. Planned demonstrable learning and / or impact from the project activity;
6. Consideration for multiple characteristics and identities often underrepresented in the arts and culture sector.

FUNDS AVAILABLE

A total budget of £100,000 is available offering grant awards of up to £5,000 to individuals and £10,000 to organisations for projects developed in financial year 2022/23 and completed by the end of December 2024.

CLOSING DATE

Wednesday 25 January 2023 (23:59 GMT). 

HOW TO APPLY

Applications and further guidance are available on the Consultation Hub.

Please contact Beata Skobodzinska 0131 529 4577 beata.skobodzinska@edinburgh.gov.uk or Sandra Elgin 0131 529 6720 sandra.elgin@edinburgh.gov.uk if you require advice on your application.