The Arts Council of Wales has published the first Annual Report of its second Strategic Equality Plan (covering the period between 2024-2028), outlining the progress that’s been made during 2024-2025 in advancing equality, diversity and inclusion across Wales’ arts sector.
The report highlights meaningful progress whilst identifying areas requiring continued focus and action. It examines equality, diversity and inclusion data across the organisations the Arts Council of Wales funds, the individuals it supports and its own staff – providing a transparent account of progress and noting where sustained effort is still needed, as it works towards its vision of a fairer Wales where the arts are accessible to everyone.
The full report can be found here
A vision rooted in fairness
For the Arts Council of Wales, equality and inclusion are not simply legal obligations — they are fundamental to its vision for the arts in Wales.
Its latest four-year Strategic Equality Plan (2024–2028), sits at the heart of the organisation’s wider ten-year strategy, setting out a clear vision and ambition: to create an environment where the arts can flourish and where everybody in Wales can engage with, and benefit from, the arts and culture more generally.
Hannah Raybould, Arts Council of Wales’ Deputy Director for Equalities and Partnerships, said:
“The Arts Council of Wales’ vision is grounded in the principle that arts and culture in Wales belong to everyone — and that culturally and ethnically diverse people, D/deaf and disabled people, neurodivergent people, LGBTQ+ people and those facing socio-economic disadvantage are central and integral to Wales’ cultural life.
“Equality and inclusion are central to everything we do at the Arts Council of Wales. This annual report offers a snapshot of just one year in our ongoing efforts to create meaningful change, but also highlights barriers that still exist for some organisations and individuals.
“We are working closely with the sector, via the focused and innovative efforts of our Multi-Year Funded Organisations, partners and individuals committed to effecting lasting change in our shared efforts to create and sustain a cultural sector in Wales that reflects the diversity of our nation and is accessible to all.
“The data from 2024-25 shows the need for continued support for D/deaf and disabled individuals and organisations in terms of access to our funding, and we have been working on strategic interventions such as the improvement of our Creative Steps programme; our Access support; supporting the roll out of the All In Standards for venues across the UK and Eire in 2026 and the finalising of our Widening Engagement Plan actions to support cultural venues with minimum requirements for access.”
Key Findings
Overall, the 2024-2025 data shows positive momentum towards greater inclusion while underscoring the need for sustained action to address remaining gaps.
Multi-year Funded Organisations (MYFOs)
- Workforce diversity across MYFOs improved across the majority of protected characteristics compared to the previous year.
- MYFO workforce data shows notable increases among employees that are Culturally and Ethnically diverse, LGBTQ and those with religious affiliations.
- Disabled under-representation persists, with 7.2% of those employed by MYFOs identifying as D/deaf or disabled.
- Board diversity of MYFOs improved in terms of the number of young people and Culturally and Ethnically diverse members, but slightly declined for D/deaf and disabled representation.
Lottery Funded Organisations and Individuals
- Lottery funding (CREATE and Arts & Health funding schemes) increased for projects supporting Culturally and Ethnically diverse people, as well as younger and older audiences. However, funding decreased by 7.2% for projects aimed at D/deaf and disabled people, and by 3.4% for those projects aimed at LGBTQ+ people.
- 25.6% of Lottery awards to individuals were made to Culturally and Ethnically diverse recipients (up 2.2% on 2023–2024). 19.1% of projects were aimed at Culturally and Ethnically Diverse audiences.
- D/deaf and disabled recipients received 41.5% of the total value of Lottery awards. 24.8% of all Lottery funding was awarded to projects that were aimed at D/deaf or disabled people.
- 26.3% of individual recipients of Lottery Awards identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual. 52.4% identified as female.
Ruth Fabby MBE, Chair of the Welsh Language, Culture and Equalities Committee, Arts Council of Wales, said:
“This report shows real and encouraging progress — more diverse workforces, stronger representation on boards and Lottery funding reaching a wider range of communities. But the data also tells us where we must do even more. Deaf and disabled people remain under-represented across our funded sector, and funding for projects serving LGBTQ+ communities fell this year.
“Progress must not lead to complacency, and we are deeply committed to building on this momentum with focused investment, genuine accountability and inclusive decision-making — because our ambition is a cultural Wales that truly reflects and serves everyone who lives here.”