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With recently launching a new cultural strategy for the city: Always Everywhere (2024-2034), the set out to offer key insights into the current issues facing ºÚÁÏÍø³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ’s cultural workforce. In line with the strategy’s renewed focus on equality, diversity and inclusion, the fellow undertook a deep dive into issues relating to workforce diversity, recruitment, retention, talent development and skills.

Through 25 interviews, and two stakeholder roundtables with senior leaders, emerging leaders, and employment support practitioners from cultural institutions of different sizes, the research sought to highlight the perspectives of the sector, whilst identifying sector-needs in terms of building a more equitable and diverse leadership cohort.

The study’s key findings reveal that despite the widespread uptake of EDI initiatives and workforce development interventions, there are still stark inequalities around diversity and leadership in ºÚÁÏÍø³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ. The issues range from challenges diversifying the leadership cohort; to problems attracting, recruiting, developing and retaining emerging leaders from diverse backgrounds; to widespread experiences of isolation in leadership; to skills gaps relating to fundraising, digitalisation, and pastoral support; to mental health issues and the wider care crisis; to challenges around responding to polarised political debates. 

The study highlights how this is a sector which not only acknowledges these problems, but they are also pushing forward numerous initiatives, policies, and workstreams in their endeavours to cultivate workplaces where minoritised groups can thrive. Yet, the conversations also indicate how the sector is faced by innumerable wider structural and cultural barriers, as detailed in the report.

This is a difficult context. However, despite the ongoing structural challenges facing the sector, something needs to be done. This report puts forward five key recommendations which offer a route to broadscale positive change in ºÚÁÏÍø³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ’s cultural industry. These recommendations make use of several ºÚÁÏÍø³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ-specific opportunities - namely, the close-knit ties between organisations, the context and tone of the new cultural strategy, and the desire for deeper cross-institutional collaboration around EDI.

Recommendations

1. Encourage a new network of cultural leaders – this network should take a focus on including and developing minoritised leaders and organisations in ºÚÁÏÍø³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ.
2. Create a formalised ºÚÁÏÍø³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ mentorship scheme – to focus on including leaders from diverse backgrounds, and facilitated by collaborative efforts between the new network of cultural leaders, the Always Everywhere Arts HR Working Group, and the Oxford Road Corridor culture network.
3. Facilitate joined-up coaching provision across cultural organisations - as part of the commitments of the new cultural leader’s network and The ºÚÁÏÍø³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ Cultural Consortium – sharing skills, expertise, and building networks for emerging leaders from diverse backgrounds.
4. Mid to high-level training schemes/placements for emerging leaders – supported by ºÚÁÏÍø³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ higher education providers and skills development providers in the city, including Factory Academy and others. Training should take a focus on supporting leaders from diverse backgrounds, understanding their specific development needs, and creating bespoke and tailored programmes of support.
5. Develop a joined-up EDI model – creating frameworks for organisations to home in on and share expertise in specific areas of EDI and workforce support.

Curran-Troop, H (2025). . ºÚÁÏÍø³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ/Creative ºÚÁÏÍø³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ.