Join us at the launch of our third report in the State of the Nations series
15 May 2024 at 12- 1pm GMT (online via Zoom)
UK Arts, Culture and Heritage will provide an overview of the audiences and workforce of the arts, culture and heritage sectors. Using once in a decade 2021 Census data for the first time, this report will provide a new map of creative practitioners across England and Wales. The granular findings are likely to be extremely valuable to anyone/everyone responsible for making decisions on allocating limited resources at a local level.
While the report confirms ingrained inequality across several demographics in terms of workforce and cultural participation, it also points to pockets of positive change, and the ways in which arts, culture and heritage could be considered more inclusive than other sectors.
Following a presentation from research lead Mark Taylor (Sheffield University), a panel of guests will explore these new findings and take questions from the online audience.
About the Panellists
Peggy Hughes – Chief Executive at the National Centre for Writing
Peggy Hughes is Chief Executive at the National Centre for Writing. She comes from Northern Ireland, went to university in Scotland, and stayed to spend her formative years in literature organisations including the Edinburgh International Book Festival and the Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust. Peggy is a trustee of Age UK Norwich, and Open Book Reading, and was Chair of Literature Alliance Scotland, Scotland’s largest network for organisations working in literature and languages, from 2027-2022. She is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Shanaz Gulzar – Creative Director at Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture
Shanaz is known for her skillset as an artist, producer and for her creative vision. Her career spans film, visual arts, theatre, public art and media, and she has delivered ground-breaking projects nationally and internationally, most recently as a producer at Manchester International Festival. In her capacity as Creative Director at Bradford 2025, UK City of Culture, Shanaz is co-leading a transformative cultural renaissance, with initiatives that celebrate diversity, artistic innovation, and community engagement.
Lara Ratnaraja – Cultural Consultant
Lara is a freelance cultural consultant specialising in diversity, innovation, leadership, collaboration and cultural policy implementation within the HE, cultural and digital sector. She is currently co-producing AD:Vantage which places the vantage point of d/Deaf, neurodivergent and disabled creative practitioners at the heart of leadership. She is also the Co-Curator of Hello Culture. She is on the Derby Theatre, Vivid Projects and the Advisory Groups of SHOUT Festival and Coventry Biennial.
Kelly Parish – Senior Manager, Diversity at Arts Council England
Kelly is a Senior Manager in the national Diversity team at Arts Council England. Kelly has worked at ACE for over ten years, drawing on her background in painting, creating DIY immersive art events and delivering workshops for young people to inform her policy work. She has spent much of her time at Arts Council developing funding programmes, and now works to further ACE’s work on equality, diversity and inclusion, supporting the delivery of the organisation’s Inclusivity & Relevance Investment Principle and Equality Objectives.
