Understand the principles behind equality, diversity and inclusion, recognise how barriers and discrimination can arise, and consider what inclusive practice looks like in your everyday work.
Equality, diversity, inclusion and equity affect who can access opportunities, how people are treated, whose perspectives are heard and whether barriers are recognised and addressed.
For people working across the creative, cultural and heritage sectors, these considerations can arise in many different settings: within workplaces and project teams, when recruiting staff or freelancers, while planning activities and programmes, and through interactions with audiences, participants, volunteers and communities.
Understanding EDI in Creative & Cultural Settings provides a practical introduction to the principles, terminology and legal protections that help to support inclusive practice. It explores how discrimination, harassment, unconscious bias and exclusion can appear in everyday situations, while helping you consider what you can do within your own role.
The course combines clear explanations with sector-based examples, interactive activities and opportunities to reflect on your own work.
The course is made up of three modules:
Begin by exploring what equality, diversity, inclusion and equity mean, how they differ and how they relate to one another.
Through examples drawn from creative, cultural and heritage settings, you will consider how access, representation, participation and belonging can be influenced by everyday decisions and ways of working.
This module covers:
Develop your understanding of the Equality Act 2010 and the protections it provides in England, Scotland and Wales.
You will explore the nine protected characteristics and consider how equality law can affect recruitment, services, communication and accessibility. The module also introduces reasonable adjustments and the responsibilities that may apply to organisations, freelancers and individuals in different situations.
This module covers:
Some of the examples show how organisations can design fairer systems and processes. Even where you are not responsible for creating these yourself, understanding what good practice looks like can help you apply procedures consistently and recognise when something may need to be questioned or raised.
Explore how different forms of discrimination, harassment and bias can appear in practice.
This module uses workplace, project and programme-based scenarios to help you distinguish between different forms of unlawful or exclusionary treatment. It also considers how assumptions can influence decisions, why people may experience barriers in different ways, and how individuals can respond appropriately when concerns arise.
This module covers:
The course concludes with a structured reflection, inspired by Kaizen-informed principles, helping you identify what has been most relevant to your work and choose one realistic action to take forward.
This course is designed to build a clear and practical understanding of EDI without assuming previous knowledge or organisational responsibility.
You will examine common terminology, legal protections and examples from across the creative, cultural and heritage sectors. Rather than looking at EDI only through policies or broad organisational commitments, the course considers how it connects with everyday behaviour, communication, access and decision-making.
Throughout the course, you will be encouraged to think about your own role. This could include how you communicate with colleagues, participants or audiences; how you contribute to recruitment or project delivery; how you respond to access needs; or what you might do if you witness unfair or inappropriate treatment.
The course provides general learning and guidance to support good practice. It does not constitute legal advice.
This engaging self-guided course combines a variety of formats to keep learning active and relevant:
Video explainers to ground key concepts
Scenario-based exercises to explore concepts in realistic contexts
Interactive diagrams exploring key EDI terminology
Flashcards to reinforce important ideas and terminology
Captions, transcripts, and audio options to support accessible learning
Puzzles, quizzes and matching exercises to test understanding
Reflection prompts to identify practical next steps
Sector-specific scenarios rooted in creative, cultural, and heritage workplaces
Opportunities to record and download your reflections
This course is for anyone who would benefit from a stronger understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion.
It is particularly relevant to people working or volunteering within creative, cultural and heritage settings, including those who work with colleagues, artists, freelancers, participants, audiences or communities.
You do not need to manage other people or hold responsibility for organisational policy. The course focuses on the understanding and practical awareness that can support people at every level of an organisation or project.
It can also provide a shared foundation for teams whose members have different roles and levels of responsibility.
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
Explain the meanings of equality, diversity, inclusion and equity
Recognise the differences and connections between these principles
Describe how EDI relates to creative, cultural and heritage practice
List the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010
Recognise different forms of discrimination, harassment and victimisation
Understand how unconscious bias may influence decisions and interactions
Identify barriers relating to recruitment, communication, services and accessibility
Recognise examples of reasonable adjustments
Explain how overlapping identities and circumstances can shape people’s experiences through intersectionality
Identify practical actions that are relevant to your own role
The examples reflect the environments in which creative and cultural professionals work. These include theatres, museums, galleries, community arts projects, workshops, performances and freelance creative practice.
The course explains the central EDI concepts, but it also shows how they can affect recruitment, access, communication, workplace behaviour, project delivery and participation.
You will explore the Equality Act 2010 through accessible explanations and realistic examples, helping you to recognise where legal protections may be relevant without presenting the course as a substitute for professional legal advice.
You will not be expected to create an organisational EDI strategy. Instead, the course helps you recognise what inclusive practice can look like, understand where your responsibilities begin and identify concerns that may need to be raised with someone else.
The final reflection is designed to help you choose a manageable next step rather than leave the course with a list of intentions.
This course is brought to you by the expert trainers at Artswork Professional Development, who are proud to share their decades of experience of personal and professional development within the creative, cultural and heritage sectors.
This course is suitable for:
Staff at any level
Freelancers and self-employed practitioners
Artists and creative practitioners
Facilitators and project workers
Volunteers
People working with audiences, participants or communities
New starters
People who have had limited previous EDI training
Organisations looking to provide a shared foundation across a wider team or teams
Understanding EDI is designed for people who want to strengthen their knowledge, confidence and everyday inclusive practice.
People who manage others or shape organisational policies and strategy may be better suited to Applying EDI: Organisational Practice and Change.
Applying EDI includes the complete Understanding EDI course, followed by additional learning on:
If you’re unsure which course is the best fit, our free Exploring EDI resource will help you compare the options and choose the most appropriate learning route. You’ll also get a free downloadable EDI guidance resource to keep and refer back to.
If you’re purchasing on behalf of others, a group order gives you Seat Manager access. This includes a simple admin dashboard where you can:
Share sign-up links with staff, volunteers or freelancers (with or without existing accounts)
Enrol or remove individuals directly
Track progress and activity, including log-ins and licence use
It’s a straightforward, cost-effective way to provide facilitation, mentoring and creative learning training across employees, volunteers and freelancers, with remote access and the flexibility for everyone to learn at their own pace.
The course takes approximately 1.5–2.5 hours to complete, depending on how much time you spend engaging with the interactive activities and reflection prompts. You can complete it in one go or dip in and out.
Yes. This is a fully online eLearning course that you can complete at your own pace. You’ll have 12 months’ access from the date of registration, so you can pause, return, and revisit sections whenever you need.
Yes, you will be able to download a certificate of completion once all sections in the course player have been marked as complete.
Yes. The course includes sector-based scenarios, interactive diagrams, sorting activities, knowledge checks, videos and opportunities to reflect on your own practice. These activities help you connect the learning with situations you may encounter in your work.
Yes. Many organisations enrol entire teams, freelancers, or volunteer groups on this course. We can set up group access, progress tracking, and invoicing. Please contact [email protected] to discuss organisational options.
No. Although the examples are drawn from creative, cultural and heritage settings, the principles apply much more widely. The course is relevant to staff, freelancers, volunteers and practitioners working with colleagues, participants, audiences or communities. If you’re looking for a more neutral, workplace-wide version of this training, we can adapt the content to suit different organisational contexts. Please contact [email protected] to discuss your requirements.
No. The course starts with the essential principles and terminology, so you do not need any previous training or specialist knowledge. It is also suitable for people who want to refresh or strengthen their existing understanding.
Choose 'Understanding EDI: Essential Principles for Inclusive Practice' if you want a strong basis in EDI concepts, equality law and inclusive everyday practice. Choose 'Applying EDI: Organisational Practice and Change' if your role involves managing people or projects, influencing policies or decisions, shaping organisational culture, designing programmes or helping to embed EDI across an organisation. 'Applying EDI' includes the core learning from 'Understanding EDI', so you do not need to complete both courses separately.
All Courses, Diversity and Inclusion, Core Professional Development Skills
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All Courses
All Courses, Core Professional Development Skills
All Courses, Diversity and Inclusion, Core Professional Development Skills
