SO: Inclusive
SO:Inclusive was a programme of workshops and shared learning designed to support Southampton’s cultural and creative organisations to make Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) a meaningful part of how they work.
Delivered in partnership with the University of Southampton, John Hansard Gallery and EDI consultant Amanda Parker, the programme brought organisations from across the city together to explore real challenges, share experiences and consider how lasting change could be made collectively as well as within individual organisations.
Across eight sessions, 39 organisations took part in workshops, with the programme culminating in a city-wide sharing event attended by 41 organisations. Facilitated by Amanda Parker, the event provided an opportunity to reflect on what had been learned and to co-create an Inclusive Charter for the city.
The programme also resulted in an online resource sharing practical tools, learning and examples of best practice, helping organisations continue to develop their approach to inclusion beyond the workshops.
SO:Inclusive formed part of Southampton Forward’s wider work to strengthen the city’s cultural sector and support Southampton’s ambition to become a proudly inclusive city.
“I enjoyed the openness of the sessions and the opportunity to work on real challenges. We all need to own what happens afterwards and how we come together to move the dial on EDI issues as a city”
– Workshop series participant
Amanda Parker is the Founder of Inc Arts UK, a national centre for advocacy for the creative, contractual and economic rights of the UK’s ethnically diverse arts sector workforce. As CEO, Parker led Inc Arts to produce sector-leading research and consultancy on equity, diversity and inclusion in creative and cultural organisations. Amanda was one of this year’s recipients of the Olivier Awards Industry Recognition Award for her work in this field.
Amanda Parker’s career spans screen, broadcast, arts and culture – including Director, London Short Film Festival and Editor of Arts Professional magazine. A former BBC programme maker and arts campaigns manager, she’s a Trustee of the RSC, and advisor to the UK Coalition for Cultural Diversity.
“We’re a creative culture and a creative nation; we grasp the new and we’re ready to explore. We always have been”