We commit to INCLUSIVITY

Culture offers the space and opportunity for people to come together to share, learn, listen and reflect, regardless of differences.

“It connects me to other people by sharing an experience. It can help me to understand other people's point of view. It gives me a topic of conversation with others”

We know that Richmond has an active, engaged and curious population with many of our residents enjoying and participating in a variety of cultural activities.

However, we’ve also heard from our residents that Richmond’s current cultural offer is not as representative or as accessible as it should be:

 “As a father I feel that teenagers don't find many cultural activities suitable for them that are affordable”

“Part accessible is not fully accessible”

In recent years we have endeavoured to make our buildings and services more inclusive; residents now have access to high quality information, resources and advice 24/7 via our library service, which issues the most books in Britain per capita ¹ and our Friendly Parks for All initiative has aimed to improve access to five borough parks to date.² During the COVID-19 pandemic we found new ways of reaching both regular and new users; library members using the e-Libraries increased by 76% and Orleans House Gallery significantly increased digital engagement by delivering content online, almost doubling its profile on some social media platforms.

We have also targeted provision where a specific need has been identified and have worked to provide access to culture for children and young people in care; increased inclusive sport & exercise and provided social opportunities for those aged over 65 at our monthly Reminiscence Café.

We want to improve this over the next decade however, building on what is already on offer to increase access and opportunity and give a voice specifically to our residents and communities who don’t currently feel they are being served, to improve equality and ensure that Richmond is a borough for everyone.

We believe that the more diverse and accessible cultural experiences and opportunities Richmond can offer, the more inclusive we can be.

“I would like to see a more risk-taking agenda to bring cultural opportunities to more people of all ages and backgrounds”

How we will do this

• We will work with specialists and target groups, including disabled people and people with special educational needs to help us identify how our public programming, spaces, facilities and information could be more accessible and user-friendly, starting with exploring how we can make borough parks more accessible for those with visual impairments.
• Over the next five years we will develop digital engagement and support digital citizenship in the borough, learning lessons from our online delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic to find ways to make our services more efficient so that we can offer better value for money and ensure culture is available to a wider audience.
• By 2026 we will have a good understanding of what, and where, cultural provision is missing in Richmond, specifically for residents aged 15–24. We will support and promote affordable youth focused opportunities, particularly in areas of low provision and engagement through our library venues and family learning programmes; inclusive sport & exercise (RISE); Friendly Parks and socially engaged arts programmes, to improve participation and opportunities across the whole borough.
• We will support Sport England’s mission of unlocking the advantages of sport & physical activity for everyone, working with local partners and reviewing our own services to tackle inequalities in sport and fitness and improve access specifically for those who feel excluded from being active.
• We will continue facilitating cultural opportunities for children and young people in care and consider how our services can help develop the current Culture 4 Keeps programme so that by 2031 every child accessing social care in Richmond has the opportunity to engage with culture.
• We will explore how we can make information on Richmond’s cultural offer more centrally and readily available by piloting joint marketing and communication methods to make it easier for residents and visitors to find out what is on offer.
• Cultural services will uphold Richmond Council’s Equality & Diversity Plan and commit to improving accessible recruitment and staff diversity over the coming decade. We will also consider how we can better support partners and local organisations to do the same, to help ensure the sector is better representing the communities we serve and aspire to serve.

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