1. Our Vision
The Artery exists to support, amplify, and connect creative voices, especially those from rural and working-class communities. We believe that creativity thrives when everyone has the opportunity to participate, regardless of background or geography. Our work is grounded in fairness, equity, and care.
2. Our Commitment
In alignment with Arts Council England’s Inclusivity & Relevance Investment Principle, we commit to embedding equality, diversity and inclusion across everything we do, from governance and leadership to commissioning, programming and partnership-building.
We particularly seek to address barriers faced by:
- Freelance creatives navigating insecure or underpaid work
- Artists and practitioners from rural areas with limited access to networks, funding or infrastructure
- People from working-class backgrounds who are often underrepresented in cultural leadership and mainstream arts spaces
3. What EDI Means to Us
- Equality: Everyone should have fair access to opportunities and support.
- Diversity: We value and embrace the full range of human experience, including class, ethnicity, disability, gender, sexuality, age, and identity.
- Inclusion: We actively foster environments where people feel seen, respected, and able to contribute meaningfully.
4. Actions We Will Take
To support and sustain EDI, Innovate Educate/The Artery will:
- Recruit inclusively, offering transparent, accessible and bias-aware processes.
- Support freelancers with fair pay, clear contracts, and nurturing relationships.
- Champion rural and working-class creatives, offering targeted opportunities, showcasing underrepresented voices, and advocating for structural change.
- Remove barriers to participation, including physical, digital, financial, and social barriers.
- Monitor representation across our work, collecting anonymous data (where appropriate) to track progress and improve practices.
- Invest in learning, offering appropriate training to our team and collaborators.
- Listen and adapt, through feedback mechanism, co-design practices, and open consultation with those we aim to serve.
5. Who This Policy Applies To
All staff, freelancers, board members, volunteers, and creative collaborators are expected to engage with and uphold this policy. We also seek partnerships with those who share our EDI commitments.
6. Accountability
Responsibility for EDI implementation sits with senior leadership. Karen Merrifield will:
- Support staff and freelancers with inclusive practice
- Report progress regularly to the board
- Ensure this policy is reviewed annually and updated in line with ACE guidance
7. Feedback and Review
We recognise EDI work is ongoing and requires reflection. We invite feedback on this policy from artists, participants, and partners, and will update it annually to reflect evolving needs and good practice.
To contact our EDI Lead: Karen Merrifield, Karen@ieltd.co.uk
