EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

Italia Conti is committed to creating an environment where Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion ensure fair treatment and opportunity for all. We are committed to eradicating prejudice and discrimination based on an individual or group of individual’s protected characteristics. As a leading vocational performing arts school, our dedication to create a truly diverse, inclusive community for all our students and staff is ongoing.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion are at the heart of our core values.

Italia Conti believes in nurturing potential regardless of class, creed, race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability; we value and celebrate the diversity of backgrounds and experiences that each person brings.

Equality ensures that every individual has equality of opportunities, the same chance to participate regardless of their background, identity, or experiences.

Diversity is about recognising the benefits of different values, abilities, and perspectives, celebrating people’s differences and our rich dimensions of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, and other ideologies. Diversity recognises every individual is unique and recognises our individual differences. This means promoting an environment that welcomes, respects and values diverse backgrounds, cultures, thinking, skills and experience.

Inclusion is providing a space where everyone has equal, un-barriered access to opportunities and resources without having to ask; where everyone feels valued and accepted. Where everyone can contribute and have a voice. Italia Conti is dedicated to creating a safe environment where all students and staff feel supported to reach their potential with an equal sense of belonging, and in which the rights and dignity of all are respected.

The death of George Floyd in June 2020 and subsequent Black Lives Matter movement brought an overdue acceleration of global anti-racist efforts. This was reflected across the creative arts industry, and the performing arts training sector. Like the wider sector, Italia Conti acknowledged that we must do more to actively address racism, challenge systemic and endemic prejudice, exploitation and intersectional oppression and work towards a more equal and just future. We want to create positive, lasting change.

We believe:

• Diversity, in all its forms, is vital for staff and students for an enriched training and learning experience.
• Black lives matter, and we stand united against racism.
• That the pain and injustice caused by systemic racism is a reality and we do all that we can to acknowledge and combat it.
• In the power of raising awareness to effect meaningful change, and we join in solidarity with anti-racist movements.
• People of Colour/Global Majority should have the opportunity to undertake and study diverse roles and practitioners during their training which are reflective of global majority communities.
• That being anti-racist requires concrete action.
• Staff and students need to feel welcome and safe.

We are committed to:

• Widening participation across all programmes to currently underrepresented groups in the theatre and related arts.
• Continuing to support applications by those facing socio-economic barriers.
• Engaging with educators and early career advisors to ensure that members of global majority communites believe that training and a career in the performing arts is possible.
• Working to ensure that all mangers and staff understand their responsibility to equality, diversity, and inclusion and where necessary undergo appropriate training about systemic and endemic racism, inequality, unconscious bias and microaggression.
• Conducting our complaints and reporting procedures in a culture of transparency.
• Working closely with our peer organisations across the sector in partnership through dialogue and collaboration to address racism, inequality, and injustice and to develop our practices.

We put structures in place:

• Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer: Italia Conti have a dedicated EDI Officer. Their role is to provide support, advice and guidance for staff and students across the full breadth of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. They facilitate initiatives and offer guidance alongside developing and implementing strategic policies, practices and actions plans.
• For more information, please contact our EDI Officer, Neil Collins at: Neil.Collins@ItaliaConti.Co.Uk
• Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Steering Committee: Our EDI Committee has been running for several years, helping to hold Italia Conti accountable and make significant changes across the organisation. Drawn from the staff and student body, representatives from the Acting, Musical Theatre and Dance courses, the EDI Committee attend monthly meetings and enter a proactive discourse. Collectively they are tasked with the continued implementation of the EDI Action Plan. Within the committee, sub-committee action groups are focused on specific areas. These have included the development of a cross practice gender-inclusive language tool, initiatives to support our LGBTQI+ community, Neurodiversity awareness and ‘Project Period,’ addressing access to free, zero plastic products for staff and students who menstruate.
• The EDIC (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee) support student societies including the Conti Diversity Network (CDN), a student led society that celebrates global majority students, targeting diversity, inclusion, and community.
• With a focus on recruitment, Italia Conti work closely with Creative Access, a leading diversity, equity, and inclusion organisation who provide support and development for talent from communities under-represented in the creative industries.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Plan:

• From 2020, we implemented an EDI Action Plan which is under constant review and ongoing development. We acknowledge that one policy, person or single committee cannot be responsible for ‘Equality, Diversity & Inclusion.’ It is a collective responsibility and is embedded across all of Italia Conti’s policies, procedures and working practices.
• Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Plan.
• Further information:
  • Italia Conti Equal Opportunities Policy
  • Italia Conti Complaints Policy
  • Access & Widening Participation Policy
• For further information, please contact our Director of Human Resources, Tim Rounding at: Tim.Rounding@ItaliaConti.Co.Uk
• All Staff, Students, and Visitors to Italia Conti are expected to abide by the principles set out in our Equal Opportunities Policy and to support Italia Conti in its delivery.