Cultural and Creative Events Grant Equality Impact Assessment

Name of policies to be assessed

The Cultural and Creative Events Fund 2022/23

1. What is the main purpose of the policies?

The main purpose of the policies is to:

• The award of small grants for arts and cultural events/activity meeting the set criteria via a competitive application process.

2. What main areas or activities does the policies cover?

• Arts and cultural activity

3. Who are the main audience, users or customers who will be affected by the policy?

The main groups who will be affected by the policy are:

• individuals
• voluntary or professional organisations or community groups active in providing arts or cultural events or opportunities within the city of Colchester
• local audiences of and participants in the arts and other cultural activity
• visitors.

4. What outcomes does the Council want to achieve from the policy?

The outcomes that the policy should achieve are:

• delivery of high-quality cultural experiences to local audiences
• development/showcasing of local creative talent
• celebration and raised awareness of local heritage
• additional visitors to the city of Colchester
• celebration of our diverse local communities
• contribution to the health and wellbeing of audiences and/or participants

5. Are other service areas or partner agencies involved in delivery?

Community Development CBC, NHS North East Essex Care Commissioning Group

6. The ‘general duty’

The ‘general duty’ states that we must have “due regard” to the need to:

1. eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation
2. advance equality of opportunity between people who share a ‘protected characteristic’¹ and those who do not²
3. foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not³

Not all policies help us to meet the ‘general duty’, but most do.

This policy helps us to meet the ‘general duty’ by:

• providing small grants to support events and activity that widen access to arts and culture both for audiences and practitioners
• helping us to ‘foster good relations…’ by supporting events which enable communities to come together and/or showcase the culture and contribution of individual communities

7. How does the policy help the Council to improve health/reduce health inequalities⁴ for residents?

The policy provides opportunities for residents to participate in creative events and activities with the potential to improve quality of life by reducing isolation and relieving stress - activities funded may have physical health benefits (eg, dance, walking festivals/trails).

8. Disproportionate impacts

This section helps us to identify any disproportionate impacts. We will indicate whether the policy is likely to particularly benefit or disadvantage any of the 'protected characteristics'.

We set out the potential benefits or disadvantages for particular protected characteristics.

Age - older people (60+) and younger people (17-25) and children (0-16)

Positive impact

Arts and cultural activity provides potential benefits to practitioners and audiences across society. Applications for grants may be received from individuals or organisations working with or for this protected characteristic and these would be welcomed.

Disability – physical, sensory, learning, mental health issues, other

Positive impact

Positive impacts are the same as those for the age characteristics.

Ethnicity⁵ - White; Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups; Asian or Asian British; Black, Black British, Caribbean or African; Other ethnic group

Positive impact

Positive impacts are the same as those for the age characteristics.

Language – English not as a first language

Positive impact

Positive impacts are the same as those for the age characteristics.

Pregnancy and maternity - Women who are pregnant or have given birth in the last 26 weeks

Positive impact

Positive impacts are the same as those for the age characteristics.

Religion or belief - People with a religious belief (or none)

Positive impact

Positive impacts are the same as those for the age characteristics.

Sex – Men and Women

Positive impact

Positive impacts are the same as those for the age characteristics.

Gender reassignment⁶ - Transgender/Transsexual

Positive impact

Positive impacts are the same as those for the age characteristics.

Sexual Orientation – Straight/Heterosexual, Gay or Lesbian, Bisexual, Other sexual orientation

Positive impact

Positive impacts are the same as those for the age characteristics.

Marriage and Civil Partnership - People who are married or in a civil partnership

Positive impact

Positive impacts are the same as those for the age characteristics.

Summary and findings of Initial Equality Impact Assessment

1. No negative impacts have been identified – Action is to sign off screening and finish.
2. Negative impacts have been identified but have been minimised or removed  - Action is to sign off screening and finish.
3. Negative impacts could not be minimised or removed – Action is to sign off screening and complete a full impact assessment – Section 2.
4. There is insufficient evidence to make a judgement - Action is to sign off screening and complete a full impact assessment – Section 2.

The findings and action are confirmed as (A). No negative impacts have been identified - action is to sign off screening and finish.

9. Name and job title of person completing this form

Claire Taylor, Visitor and Cultural Services Manager.

10. Date of completion

December 2021

• [1] The Equality Act’s `protected characteristics’ include age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and sex and sexual orientation. It also covers marriage and civil partnerships, but not for all aspects of the duty.
• [2] This involves having due regard, in particular, to the need to: (a) remove or minimise disadvantages suffered by persons who share a protected characteristic that are connected to that characteristic; (b) take steps to meet the needs of persons who share a relevant protected characteristic that are different from the needs of persons who do not share it, and (c) encourage persons who share a relevant protected characteristic to participate in public life or in any other activity in which participation by such persons is disproportionately low.
• [3] This involves having due regard, in particular, to the need to (a) tackle prejudice, and (b) promote understanding.
• [4] Health inequalities are the unjust and avoidable differences in people's health across the population. They come from the unequal distribution of income, wealth and power and influence the wider determinants of health such as work, education, social support and housing. Currently, in England people living in the least deprived areas will live around 20 years longer in good health than those in the most deprived areas. Reducing health inequalities means giving everyone the same opportunities to lead a healthy life, no matter where they live or who they are
• [5] National Census 2011 categories are: Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani, Other Asian (Asian or Asian British), African, Caribbean, Other Black (Black or Black British), White and Black African, White and Asian, White and Black Caribbean (Mixed), British, Irish, Other White (White), Chinese, Other (Other Ethnic Group).
• [6] The protected characteristic of gender reassignment is defined by the Equality Act 2010 as “a person proposing to undergo, is undergoing or has undergone a process (or part of a process) for the purpose of reassigning the person's sex by changing physiological or other attributes of sex.” This is a personal process that may involve medical interventions such as counselling, psychotherapy, hormone therapy or surgery, but does not have to.