Tony Heaton has developed a close working knowledge of Disability related issues, particularly within the arts, and encompassing equalities, diversity and access. He has worked with many of the UK’s major arts institutions and organisations over the last 20 years, latterly as the Chief Executive of Shape Arts, the UK’s leading Disability-led Arts organisation. He was awarded an OBE for services to the arts and to Disability arts.
The Training
The Arts Council and other public funders quite rightly recognise that art and culture should be enjoyed by everyone and that publicly funded organisations should properly reflect in their structure, ethos and programme the diversity of our nation.
Over the last two years the Arts Council have produced data reports drawn from information submitted by those National Portfolio Organisations that it currently funds. Published as Equality, Diversity and the Creative Case, these documents demonstrate categorically that there is much to do if we are to create an arts ecology that reflects society.
As a direct response to addressing this, ACE have promoted the Creative Case for Diversity at the highest level, with a public commitment from both the CEO Darren Henley and Chair Sir Nicholas Serota, and an investment through additional Strategic Funds to support work to promote diversity and the creative case. In his foreword Darren Henley said; ‘Diversity is a key issue for our society, and for the arts and cultural sector.
On the one hand, there is a simple equation around public funding – that it must benefit all the public - and on the other, there are profound social, moral and economic reasons why we must ensure that the work we invest in is not only more reflective of the world we live in, but that it can anticipate and shape the world that is evolving’.
Bespoke to you
Training will be interactive, mainly structured around presentations, group exercises and discussions. The sessions are designed to be information based, and to have a practical focus, that should equip you with ideas and strategies for putting into practice useful and relevant changes.