Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

Rambert is striving to be an inclusive organisation that promotes diversity and equality of opportunity. Our aim is to create a truly inclusive organisation that reflects a society where everyone can thrive and have a sense of belonging. We aspire to achieve our cause through anti-discriminatory and anti-racist means and accept this is a journey we need to continually reflect and build on.

To that end, we aim to drive inclusion, eliminate harassment and victimisation while working to advance equality of opportunity through all our processes from recruitment and operations through to the delivery of our public engagement and performances.

• Currently our Black, Asian and ethnically diverse employees (staff and dancers) make up 30% of the organisation and are represented in leadership, curatorial roles, senior management and in our dancers. Our Black, Asian and ethnically diverse trustees make up 25% of our board.
• We have a Diversity and Inclusion working group and a forum for Black, Asian and Ethnically Diverse staff.
• The Board has a Diversity Lead, currently Dania Saidam, who attends the Diversity & Inclusion working group and who is a direct contact for the staff forum.  Updates from the Diversity & Inclusion working group are brought to the board quarterly.
•  We work proactively to nurture talent and give people who are systematically denied opportunity the support to grow.  We work with Creative Access and partner with a range of organisations on community outreach, such as Inc Arts; staff members volunteer to be role models for I Can Be; and we offer work experience to school students via Lewisham Council’s work experience scheme, hosting many children from diverse backgrounds.
• We have established a process to help us learn from experience.  This allows us to listen to current and former Rambert staff and dancers.  If you feel you have insights to share, then do let us know. We have convened a small panel of trustees to engage in these conversations.  The panel can be reached at sharinginsights[ATSIGN]rambert.org.uk or on 020 4548 1580.
• We have partnered with Theatre Peckham, who delivered their Five Pillars anti-racism training for all our staff, and with Irfaan Arif, Develop Minds, who supports us as our Diversity and Inclusion Consultant.
• We have developed an anti-racism policy, which has been shared with staff and freelancers (and can be viewed here).

• We are undertaking a review of all our work that is taught as part of the dance syllabus in schools, including related resources and workshops.
• A new Learning & Communities strategy will embed anti-racism across our existing programme of community outreach.
• We will continue ongoing training for all staff and as many people who work with us as possible, including freelancers and venues staff. We understand diversity and inclusion are different and will work with industry experts and our staff to make sure that we are a fully inclusive organisation.
•  We are reviewing our suppliers, partners and contractors to ensure they adhere to our values of anti-racism and inclusion and this will be reflected in our tendering and contracts.

We will closely monitor our progress in these areas and welcome feedback as we look to be and do better, both within Rambert and beyond.