Inclusivity at StAnza

StAnza strives to be an exemplar of EDI excellence within the cultural and events landscapes by embedding Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion in everything we do. We aim to be a safe and welcoming space for anyone interested in poetry, especially those who are traditionally underrepresented in the literary sector, and those who experience marginalisation due to their identity. We are committed to taking proactive steps to involve artists, audiences and participants who have traditionally had less access to artistic opportunity, for any reason.

Over the years, StAnza has established a strong track record in programming a diverse range of poets and other artists, and fully representing the languages of Scotland. We have recently taken further steps to ensure that diversity and equality is embedded throughout the organisation, from our Board of Trustees to our audiences. We will place particular emphasis on ensuring that our outreach programmes reach those who might previously have had less access to such opportunities, and to make the sessions inclusive and welcoming to all.

The digital turn in 2021 demonstrated the huge potential of online events for reaching those who would not otherwise be able to attend the festival; in 2022 and 2023 we offered hybrid festivals, combining live events with a rich and varied digital programme, and we shall continue to do so going forward.  

We prioritise programming events at accessible venues and continue to assess the provisions we can make to ensure that our audiences, artists, volunteers and participants feel welcome and included.  

Our headline festival events are BSL interpreted and all digital and livestreamed content is captioned. We are exploring ways of providing poem texts on our website to enable audience members to read and listen simultaneously, and we welcome further suggestions as to adjustments we can make for the benefit of anyone attending or involved with StAnza.  

Our tiered pricing structure is designed to ensure that the festival is financially accessible to all, and to provide those with more means the opportunity to support those who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend. We also offer a range of free-to-attend events, both live and digital, across our annual festival programme, as well as a free ticketing scheme for those experiencing financial hardship. 

We are dedicated to placing particular focus on promoting our Well-Versed and Scotland’s Young Makars programmes in areas of less artistic opportunity, and in years to come we plan to recruit ambassadors to enable us to achieve our outreach aims. 

Our Code of Conduct outlines the behaviour we expect of all participants, staff, volunteers and artists in order to ensure that our principles are realised in practice. Each year, we complete an internal EDI audit of our festival and programme; we plan to commission an external audit to identify further ways to improve.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch at stanza@stanzapoetry.org if you have any feedback about our EDI policies or practice. We promise to listen and respond proactively to any concerns raised or new ideas that are suggested.