Diversity & Inclusion Policy

Encouraging and giving a platform to artists & staff to create exciting, responsive and diverse work is at the heart of VAULT Creative Arts’ purpose.

Ensuring that we are Diverse & Inclusive are some of our core strategic aims, led by the Executive Team, with support from the Board of Trustees. All of our core processes and policies are driven by the aspiration to be an inclusive place of opportunity for all, particularly those who have historically been excluded.

Our mission is to build a team that represents the city and community we work in; encompassing diversity in race, ethnicity, faith, disability, gender, sexuality, class, economic disadvantage, pregnancy, and maternity.

Diversity will be a key consideration in artistic and organisational planning in both the short and long term, and all staff are encouraged to take responsibility for furthering the aims defined in this document within their own areas, departments and responsibilities.

Below, we have outlined our guiding principles with regard to diversity & Inclusion within and for our organisation.

The General Manager is responsible for promoting the company’s approach to continually improving all aspects of diversity in regards to both staff and audiences. However it is the responsibility of all managers, staff, and freelancers to ensure this policy is upheld.

Our Guiding Principles

Equal Opportunities

• VAULT Creative Arts is an equal opportunities employer.

• We will ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of sex, race, colour, nationality, disability, ethnic or national origins, class, marital status, civil status, sexual orientation, gender re-assignment, age, trade union activity, political or religious belief. Applications from Deaf and disabled people are welcome.

• Selection criteria and procedures will be kept under review to ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and treated on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Improved advertising style and recruitment methods are reviewed regularly.

• We will utilise Positive Action in our recruitment procedures.

Leadership & Workforce Diversity

• We embrace diversity of experience and thought, and we seek to cultivate leaders, as well as entry level opportunities.

• We look outside of the arts to encourage applicants from other sectors whose perspectives and systems can help change us and make us better.

• We will review, refresh and revise our recruitment procedures and practices to ensure we are reaching, attracting and appointing a workforce who will bring to us a diversity of background and experience alongside their work based skills.

• We will provide annual Unconscious Bias and Anti-Racism training for staff members.

Artistic Programming

• We will ensure our artistic programme represents the diverse voices of London, the UK, and the World.

• We will provide an accessible & inclusive platform for underrepresented stories and people to create and share their work.

• We are committed to supporting the broadest range of work & artists that can be given a platform.

Audience Development & Public Engagement

• Each communications campaign will have diversity at its core.

• We will foster a culture of attracting new audiences while encouraging repeat attendance.

• We will seek to broaden our local, national and international reach, using digital strategies alongside traditional marketing and personal contact, reaching out to all sections of our society.

• We will be rigorous in collecting and analysing data and get to know our audiences.

• We will strive to make our building and our performances as accessible as possible and audit this regularly, internally and externally.

• We want to be open, friendly and welcoming and provide an environment in which audiences, artists and staff come together to make and experience the best of live performance.

Partnerships and Collaborations

• We are committed to a culture of collaboration; embracing partnerships and working relationships which enrich both our artistic programme and our operational approach.

Governance and Board Development

• We will work with our chair to create a Board which is skilled, supportive and engaged as well as diverse to support and lead the organisation.

• We have the Diversity & Inclusion Civic Group that meets at least once a month to review our working processes on a regular and ongoing basis, leading on actionable activities to consistently improve our diversity and inclusivity.

Artists Complaints Procedure

To raise a complaint against VAULT Creative Arts or a member of the organisation’s staff, the Artist should contact their primary point of contact (usually their Programming contact) to raise the issue in writing. If a complaint is made over the phone or in person this should be followed up via email to detail the conversation in writing, so that the complaint is appropriately recorded.

If a complaint has been made to a member of the programming team who is not the Head of Programming, they will be informed by the staff member who received the complaint to support the complaint being resolved quickly, or kept up to date with the outcome if another team member is resolving it.

If the matter is not able to be resolved, the Artist will then be prompted to complete an Artists Complaint Form submission, a copy of which will be sent to the Executive Team.

One member of the ExecutiveTeam, and one member of the Senior team will investigate the matter, taking all perspectives into account. If appropriate, a meeting between those who made the complaint will be arranged. They should discuss the matter that caused the complaint, with the intention of mutually deciding on the appropriate actions that need to be taken to resolve the initial complaint.

If following these actions, an agreement to resolve the grievance has still not been agreed by all parties, a complaint will be made to the Chair of the Board of Trustees on behalf of the Artist. This complaint will then be investigated by the Chair of the Board of Trustees with the goal of resolving the complaint with a positive conclusion for all parties involved.

A copy of this Artist Complaints Procedure and a link to the Artists Complaints Form will be made available to every participating artist programmed upon receipt of their deal memo.