Join us for a free online workshop, designed and delivered by Equal Voices, exploring how to embed equity as a foundation for collective change – and how diverse voices can be centred to shape a more inclusive future.
Flourishing Lives and the Anti-Racist Action Group (ARAG) in Arts & Wellbeing invite you to our latest free online discussion exploring anti-racist action and inclusive practice in arts & wellbeing services. We are delighted to be working in partnership with Equal Voices, who will be leading this session.
Equal Voices was formed in early 2025 through collaboration with Dacorum Borough Council. The group consists of local people from racialised backgrounds who offer diverse professional and lived experiences within the arts and culture sector. The group is committed to creating space for authentic representation, co-production and meaningful inclusion within arts and wellbeing.
The group has been supported in its development by the Anti-Racist Action Group (ARAG) in Arts & Wellbeing’s ‘Transformation Space‘ discussions and catalyst work, led by Will Nicholson (independent arts, health and wellbeing consultant, and ARAG member). One of Flourishing Lives and ARAG’s core aims is to ensure that more groups like Equal Voices are formed and embedded across the sector – and that lived experience voices are centred as the leaders of transformation in arts & wellbeing.
Moving from Words into Action
Putting anti-racism into action is really challenging. You might have been on anti-racism training, attended a roundtable or a workshop on making change happen and know what you ‘should do’ – but turning words into action is not easy. If it was, we would all be doing it! This session will focus on the real-life experiences of the members of Equal Voices who will tell their story of the emotional and practical challenges they have faced in developing anti-racist work, and how they have overcome some of the psychological, systemic, social and cultural barriers we all face.
During the session Equal Voices will:
- Share its journey and the personal experiences that led to its formation as a collective, highlighting a relational approach where every voice holds equal power and where anti-racism can be explored through safe and open conversation.
- Explore the challenges and benefits in creating a collaborative space focussed on building relationships and trust, and why this is important.
- Discuss how the group is working with the local council to embed anti-racist action into local strategies and is creating a platform from which to work collaboratively with diverse communities in the future.
By sharing their stories, Equal Voices will highlight how to embed equity as a foundation for collective change and how diverse voices can be centred to shape a more inclusive future.
We hope the Equal Voices story offers inspiration and practical insight into how anti-racist practice can move from words into action, along with an opportunity to share your own reflections and experiences.
Equal Voices are:
Nadine Corbin – Creative Producer, The Cre8rs
Imrana Mahmood– Arts Educationalist and Creative Producer
Monica Callan – Development Manager, Radio Dacorum
Annie Smith– Place Officer for Arts and Culture, Dacorum Borough Council
About Equal Voices
Equal Voices is a newly formed collective committed to reshaping representation across the cultural sector in Hertfordshire. It is a Dacorum-based group that promotes inclusion and diversity in the arts. It wants to create a fairer cultural space where everyone feels seen, heard, and respected. The group was formed through local partnerships and community input. It works with the Council to make sure inclusion, belonging, and representation are at the heart of arts and wellbeing projects.
About The Anti-Racist Action Group in Arts & Wellbeing:
The Anti-Racist Action Group in Arts & Wellbeing is a group of representatives from arts, wellbeing and race equality charities – including Flourishing Lives, HEAR Network, Race Equality Foundation, Decolonising the Archive, and Southwark Culture Health and Wellbeing Partnership – who partner with ethnically and culturally diverse organisations, facilitators, community groups, participants and people to share their knowledge, expertise, learning and lived experience to support the wider arts and wellbeing sector to explore anti-racist action, and develop wider engagement in the arts and mental health. The aim is to facilitate conversations, deepen understanding and identify opportunities for change.
This discussion is part of an ongoing series of workshops and roundtables kindly funded by The National Lottery Community Fund which support Flourishing Lives and the Anti-Racist Action Group to explore a range of topics, issues and anti-racist actions to help advocate for inclusive practice across the arts and wellbeing sector.
Supporting people to participate:
We recognise it can sometimes be hard to attend events if you’re self employed or work part time, if you are a volunteer for a project or are the only person working in a community organisation, so we are offering a limited amount of financial support to ensure everyone who wants to attend is able to. For this event we can offer a £50 bursary to five participants. Unfortunately funds are limited so we can’t support everyone, and will be allocating on a first come first served basis once the criteria is met. When you register for the workshop you will have the option to apply for one of the bursary places. On review we will be in touch with those who have been successful in receiving the financial support.
This workshop is for any individuals or organisations that are interested in developing anti-racist action in their working practice – everyone is welcome! Join us to share ideas and advocate for inclusive practice and anti-racist action across the arts and wellbeing sector
Date:
Thursday 20th November 2025, 12 – 1.30pm GMT