ARAG: ‘Engaging with Confidence – The Arts & Faith Communities’ 2-part Workshop - Resources

Resources from our Anti-Racist Action in Arts & Wellbeing: ‘Engaging with Confidence – The Arts & Faith Communities’ 2-part Workshop

Delivered in partnership with Pasha Shah, Faiths Forum for London, Flourishing Lives, and the Anti-Racist Action Group (ARAG) in Arts & Wellbeing, the 2-part workshop explored how to embed equity as a foundation for collective change – and how diverse voices can be centred to shape a more inclusive future.

Part 1 focused on ‘Engaging with Confidence – The Arts & Faith Communities‘.
Part 2 focused on ‘Tackling Racism & Islamophobia in Cultural Organisations’.

Here are the resources that were shared during the sessions:

Many thanks again to Pasha Shah, Mustafa Field OBE (Director of Faiths Forum for London) and the Faiths Forum for London team for all of their help in designing and facilitating the session.

Many thanks also to the members of our Anti-Racist Action Group (ARAG) in Arts & Wellbeing Services for their help and guidance in the strategic planning and implementation of our inclusive practice workshops, training and roundtables: Leandra Box (Programme Manager at The Race Equality Foundation), Connie Bell (Cultural Producer, Theatre Director & Founding Member of Decolonising the Archive), Christine Goodall (Network Coordinator at the HEAR Network), and Will Nicholson (Co-Founder and co-facilitator of the Southwark Culture Health and Wellbeing Partnership).

About Faiths Forum for London
Faiths Forum for London empowers religious communities representing nine world faiths to work together for a better London. They are a widespread network of faith communities which are devoted to working with key stakeholders to influence policy and improve the city’s places of worship. Through their work with municipal and national government bodies along with other NGOs they seek to promote open dialogue and greater faith literacy. Representing both hundreds of local faith institutions and prominent community leaders in London they bring them together to improve social relations and deliver positive change.

About Pasha Shah
Pasha Shah is the Assistant Director responsible for Faith and Community Insights at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Prior to this, he was Head of community engagement. Before joining the civil service Pasha undertook research on socio-economic and community development programmes on behalf of and in partnership with major Universities and Charities. He also has a distinguished background of working on international development programmes.

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.