Resources for the Cultural Sector

Introduction

There are a wide range of resources available to support cultural organisations in their work. Below is a selection of information and resources to support different strategies and policies including digital, EDI, and fundraising.  There are also links to data and figures tools. 

EDI Resources

There are many resources available to support cultural organisations in understanding how to embed Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) across their work.

Below you will find a selection of information and practical resources designed to help you develop effective EDI strategies and policies. These tools and guidance aim to support the promotion of equality, enhance diversity, and foster inclusive practices across the cultural sector.

•  An equality action guide from Arts Council England, produced in collaboration with Stephen Lawrence Consulting.
  
  The guide aims to help organisations develop plans to inform their response to the Creative Case for Diversity and to address opportunities to diversify their audiences, workforce and leadership.
  
  
• The Inclusive Heritage Advice section of Historic England’s website features in-depth advice with a wealth of case studies, helpful for any organisation looking to celebrate inclusive heritage and ensure their work is as diverse and inclusive as possible.
  
  It is part of the organisation’s commitment to supporting the heritage sector in becoming more diverse.
  
  
•  The Cultural Governance Alliance EDI benchmarking tool aims to help the boards of organisations to review their performance relating to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) policies and processes.
  
  The EDI benchmark tool will support the recruitment and retention of a diverse board for your creative sector organisation.
  
  
• A selection of free toolkits are available online from Scope to help you and your organisation to be more accessible.
  
  
• Equality Impact Assessments (EqIA) [54.9 KB] [docx] are a helpful tool for helping organisations anticipate impacts, avoid discrimination, remove and reduce barriers, and promote positive opportunities and outcomes.
  
  We have shared a suggested template EqIA here; organisations may wish to consider completing EqIAs for each new policy or project to assess the potential equality impacts and help ensure inclusivity.
  
  
• Community Works have compiled some resources to help counter prejudice and misinformation in response to divisive activities expressing racist feelings.
  
  
• Information and resources from the Exploration of Cultural Sector responses to Racism in Public Spaces event, 3 March 2025.
  
  You can view more information on the hosts and speakers alongside the full program of how the day ran  here [7.8 MB] [pdf].
  
  The event was hosted by Culture East Sussex and the University of Sussex, at the University site in Falmer.
  
  Below you will find details on the speakers, their presentations, and extra resources they shared. Please note the key takeaway items have captured points that arose in the presentations, but they do not capture the full breadth of each presentation.
  
  Professor Divya Tollia-Kelly, University of Sussex, presented: Landscape, Race and National Heritage: Challenging exclusion.
  • Presentation [16.0 MB] [pptx]
  • Key takeaways [15.4 KB] [docx]
  • Additional resources:
    • A day in the life of a geographer: lone, black, female [93.5 KB] [pdf]
    • Nation, Race, and Affect: Senses and Sensibilities at National Heritage sites [581.0 KB] [pdf]
    • Locating processes of identification: [252.0 KB] [pdf]
      studying the precipitates of re-memory [252.0 KB] [pdf]
      through artefacts in the British Asian home [252.0 KB] [pdf]
    • Organic Cosmopolitanism: Challenging cultures of the non-native at the Burnley Arboretum [324.4 KB] [pdf]
    • An Archaeology of 'Race': Exploring the Northern Frontier in Roman Britain [471.5 KB] [pdf]
  Sergeant Peter Hayward, Sussex Police, presented: United Against Hate
  • Presentation [9.2 MB] [pptx]
  • Key takeaways [16.2 KB] [docx]
  Alinah Azadeh, artist, and Jess Taylor, Razia Aziz, from the EA Consultancy, presented: Do you hear us now?
  • Presentation [2.1 MB] [pptx]
  • Please note this session was participatory and due to confidentiality notes were not taken. You can watch the presentation and answer the inquiry questions.
  • Additional Resources:
    • More information on the We Hear You Now project
    • We Hear You Now playlist
    • Alinah Azadeh's substack 

•  Protected Landscapes Partnership EDI resources and training 

[to be included and link added once published on PLP website]

Fundraising resources

• Arts, culture and heritage organisations seeking to diversify their income streams and secure private investment can access a new toolkit from Arts Council England and Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy to help them approach fundraising, sponsorship and donor relationships confidently, responsibly and in line with good governance practice.

Digital resources

• The Digital Culture Network supports the creative and cultural sector in England by developing and enhancing its digital skills and maturity. The Network provides practical, on-the-ground help to with a focus on digital skills, data literacy and leadership development including:

• One to one support - Tech Champions provide one-to-one support and expertise in a range of specialisms.
• Webinar recordings - webinars on a range of digital issues including social media, CRM systems, photography, digital ads and more are available to watch back. 
• Digital Culture Podcast - listen to Tech Champions talking to guests from across the sector

Support is free to individuals and organisations working within the creative and cultural sector in receipt of, or eligible for, funding from Arts Council England.

Data resources

• East Sussex in Figures – a free Data Observatory of East Sussex specific figures and information to support your funding bids and proposals.
  
  
• Arts Council England Culture and Place Data Explorer – you can use this tool to access a wide range of place-specific data throughout England.
  
  You can use it to build a detailed picture of what culture and creativity look like in any area, from a regional level down to neighbourhoods of around 1,500 people. 
  
  It is free to access, requires no login, and data is added on a regular basis.
  
  
• The East Sussex Cultural Sector Data and Evidence Review 2025 was produced by Marshall Regen Ltd for Culture East Sussex in early 2025.
  
  The report [945.3 KB] [pdf]brings together national strategies, policies and data sets relating to the cultural sector, with more local evidence provided by partners from across East Sussex and the South East region.
  
  You can find information on the current state of the Cultural and Creative Industries sector to support your project planning and future funding applications by clicking on the link above.

Disclaimer

Please note this webpage offers links to other sites. ESCC is not responsible for the content of any linked site nor does the inclusion of a link imply that ESCC endorses or has approved the content.