Spotlight Inclusion’s Post

Looking for a podcast that blends light-hearted conversations with meaningful insights? Two friends, Spotlight Director Shonagh Reid and the renowned blogger and speaker, Claire Bale, couldn’t find the perfect podcast to keep them company during their commute—so they created their own. Mixed Matters is their new podcast, where two women of mixed heritage, embracing mid-life, chat about the things that truly matter. Now with 3 episodes available, Mixed Matters brings thoughtful, relatable discussions on life, culture, and making a difference. It’s the perfect companion for your commute or whenever you’re in the mood for something both fun and impactful. Check out the latest episodes here: https://buff.ly/4e3kWQg #MixedMatters #PodcastRecommendation #MeaningfulConversations #LightHearted #WomenInPodcasting

Yesterday we talked about the Inclusion Leadership element of Spotlight Inclusion's Partnership Package. Today we focus on Survey Delivery. Facilitating surveys that are impactful is a large part of our work. A survey is a listening opportunity. We believe that surveys are central to us beginning to understand the level of inclusion in an organisation. In our experience, employees engage with a survey which is administrated anonymously and with people outside of the organisation. The anonymity allows people to be open and speak freely. The data we gather from the survey helps us to identify areas for development that form part of the action plan. Details of our Partnership opportunities are here: https://buff.ly/4gYQvN8 Have you tried to survey your staff on EDI, we'd love to hear how you got on. Have you got the engagement you were looking for? Did you make completing them compulsory or voluntary? Did you measure the results?

Dealing with Difficult Topics in EDI Conversations Recently, we delivered a workshop on understanding microaggressions, providing a framework for handling them in the moment. Microaggressions affect all identities, so we explore a wide range of examples. One instance of an antisemitic microaggression stood out—not because of the example itself, but because of how the attendees responded. People visibly tensed up. Someone who had been confidently speaking suddenly struggled with their words, hesitant and unsure. The fear of saying the "wrong thing" was holding everyone back, and their body language reflected it—fiddling, tension, and discomfort became apparent. This led us to reflect on how difficult topics show up physically. When we encounter uncomfortable subjects, our bodies often signal our discomfort first. In this session, we reminded attendees of the importance of psychological safety and encouraged them to pause, check in with themselves, and breathe. This simple act of grounding helped shift the room from anxiety to openness, enabling a more productive and meaningful discussion. How does your body react when confronted with challenging conversations? How do you move through those moments? Developing self-awareness around these responses is crucial, especially when engaging with EDI topics. By building this awareness before difficult conversations, we can create the space necessary for growth and understanding. #EDI #PsychologicalSafety #Microaggressions #DifficultConversations #Inclusion #Leadership

Educators! Black History Month is here! Here are 5 ways you can do it really badly in our schools, colleges, and universities 1. Ensure this is the only time you explored Black culture in the academic year. 2. Have a person who is not Black lead the assembly or the activities and have them look at Black History through their lens 3. Ensure that you focus on U.S Black history or Nelson Mandela because it is easier than looking at the impact Black history has had in the UK 4. Do more for Black History Month than you did for South Asian History Month 5. Make sure you are not doing anything else in your organisation to ensure Black people have a good experience, don't face discrimination, and are paid equally We're being flippant here, but these points reflect an all too common experience for Black people across the UK at this time of year. If you feel uncomfortable about Black History Month, and you are racialised as white, ask yourself: • What is it that is making me uncomfortable? Is it that I recognise that I don't know enough? Is it because I recognise the trauma in some aspects of Black history and my history and therefore I don't want to look closer at that as it's painful? Is it that you feel 'British' history is being erased? What do the answers to these questions make you realise about yourself and your experience? • How could we do this better? Assuming you do want to do it better, all you need to do is Google Black History Month and you will find a wealth of resources? • Am I the best person to lead on this? If not, how can you get support, or open up dialogue about how to and who could do it better? • Is this a one hit wonder? Have you explored the Black experience where you work, for all stakeholders? Have you looked at pay gaps, working conditions, where representation is located? • What do I know about Black History in the UK? If you don't know very much, that's ok, now focus on getting a bit more knowledge. Type relevant terms into Spotify, Google and Amazon to get yourself quickly on track. If you want more depth, you can contact us for support: Website https://buff.ly/3DIPYwJ Contact Form https://buff.ly/44TEqT1

Highlights of our week ahead Our thought leadership journey continues, and here's what we’ve got lined up: Inclusive Recruitment in the Arts: We're collaborating with a client to fine-tune their recruitment process for classical musicians, ensuring it’s as inclusive as possible. We'll be sharing a case study with you soon—stay tuned! Level 7 EDI CPD Course: We’re making great progress on our advanced EDI course for leaders who want to drive real change. Want to be the first to know when enrollment opens? Join the waitlist here! https://buff.ly/3Nk1inH EDI in the Arts Course - Session 7: We’re delivering another session of our EDI in the Arts course. Interested? Tap the bell to get updates on upcoming versions and early access to the waitlist. How’s your Tuesday shaping up? What are your goals for the week? #InclusiveLeadership #EDI #ThoughtLeadership #Recruitment #ArtsSector #EquityDiversityInclusion #Arts #InclusionMatters #Training #OnlineTraining

Happy Friday! Spotlight Inclusion's monthly newsletter hits inboxes today, subscribers can read about: ✋ Our new associate Jo Brassington, who we are exceptionally pleased, to be working with. Jo brings a wealth of experience and expertise, specialising in LGBT+ inclusion and trans and non-binary awareness. 📻 Shonagh Reid and Claire Bale's Mixed Matters Podcast, episode 'Talking about Reclaiming Narratives for Black History Month is out now https://buff.ly/4dB0aGK. 😐 Physical responses to talking about difficult topics. How does your body physically react when you are confronted with something you don’t want to talk about? If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter we would love you to do so here https://buff.ly/40s8TWh #equitydiversityinclusion #diversity #inclusion #equity #development

Join fellow cultural leaders in a series of keynotes, roundtables, provocations and breakout sessions to explore topics including: Spotlight Inclusion Director Shonagh Reid, will be speaking at Governance Now 2024 on 6 November 2024. Shonagh's talk will address how barriers to inclusive practice can be overcome. With an industry-leading lineup of speakers from culture, technology, and local government, this event will investigate ways in which bold, courageous governance might support different models for working, and help move us beyond the status quo. Find out more here; https://buff.ly/3YswSpX

The Role of Leaders in Shaping Inclusive Cultures 🟢 Leaders are the cornerstone of an inclusive work culture. Without leaders modelling the behaviors that reflect the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion, even the most well-intentioned strategies will fall short. Leaders need to spot and challenge exclusionary behaviors while holding themselves and others accountable. If they fail to do so, the commitment to an inclusive environment fades, and progress halts. Our Leading Inclusively workshops are designed to equip leaders with the skills they need to embed inclusivity into everyday practices, ensuring long-term success. We'd love to discuss this further with you, find out more here https://buff.ly/3DIPYwJ

📧 Newsletter #12 is landing in inboxes this week! Are you subscribed? 📰 Subscribe to get all the latest news and updates from Spotlight Inclusion https://buff.ly/40s8TWh