Widening Engagement Research

At the end of June 2020 Arts Council of Wales and Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales advertised a tender to undertake a series of in-depth research conversations. Our aim was to widen engagement with communities we consistently fail to engage in our work. We received 34 submissions and after a detailed selection process and interviews we decided to appoint three organisations to undertake three very different studies.

The three organisations were:

  • Re:cognition, who focused on an area of semi-rural poverty (PDF)

    • BSL Versions:

  • Richie Turner Associates, who created a team focusing on deaf and disabled people (PDF)

    • BSL Versions:

  • Welsh Arts Anti-Racist Union, who focused on cultural and ethnic diversity (PDF)

    • BSL versions:

    The work was severely impacted by COVID-19. All three organisations had to modify their planned approach when undertaking the work. All three reports are now complete and published here.

    Arts Council of Wales and Amgueddfa Cymru welcome the findings within these studies. The approaches taken by all three organisations, focused on collaborating with communities rather than extrapolating from communities, and provide a range of important findings and recommendations.

    Arts Council of Wales and Amgueddfa Cymru will publish a joint Action Plan 'with a timeframe for taking forward the recommendations early in 2022.

    For our organisations this work is key as part of a wider process of change, working in collaboration with communities who have found us difficult to reach, to provide better equity in what we do and how we work.

    The work supports both organisations’ Strategic Equality Plan, which outlines our determination to advance equality, with a clear commitment to reach more widely and deeply into all communities across Wales. It will also support the Welsh Government’s Race Equality Action Plan.