Does diversity really fuel creativity?

We increasingly live in a remarkably diverse society, and how we evolve and respond to the challenges of the future will depend on how we can use the creative resources that diversity provides us with.

But how do we provide programmes that are reflective of the communities we serve and representative of 21st century England?

For us diversity and inclusivity informs every strand of our activity, and all the artists, participants and audiences we work with. The concept of access and inclusion was, alongside artistic excellence and ambition, a founding principle for the programme which has remained at its heart.

The learning from our programme of work is summarised below:

1. Develop an intimate understanding the communities you work in. Including the population demographics and the barriers for different groups to  access arts and culture

2. Don’t make assumptions about genres or types of music possible for the different population groups you work with e.g. bringing grime and dubstep to an SEND school that traditionally offered djembe drumming and jazz to a youth centre where young people are more used to grime and dubstep.

3. Challenge the culture of privilege that exists around music and music education. For us this is particularly prominent in Bromley and Bexley, in 2015 56% of our project participants had never previously engaged in music-making opportunities outside of school.

4. Provide opportunities for diverse young people and artists to actively shape the artistic content of the programme. For example through youth panels and practitioner steering groups.

5. Keep your ear to the ground and consult with key networks such as Community Voluntary Sector forums, Access & Inclusion networks and children and families’ forums. These networks will allow you to cross social barriers, protected characteristic groups, class and income.

6. Develop working practices that reflect the changes in the communities you support. Empower artists and young people to explore diversity and social change in their own communities. In 2016 we bought together YP from diverse musical and social backgrounds to share ideas and collaborate musically, responding to Soweto Kinch’s brief of ‘Gentrification’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm748Rah9Vg

Here at ArtsTrain we will continue to make the creative case for diversity because we believe…

Creativity = New ideas + New Decisions—Diversity is the Fuel that Fires Innovation