Collecting diversity data for audiences and professionals in the cultural heritage sector in Europe

In societies across Europe, our everyday opportunities and experiences are governed by a number of intersecting privileges and inequalities. Gender is one of the most discussed axes of inequality and the data collected helps us to understand the problem: for example, look at the reported inequality in terms of salary identified between the female and male creative workforce. But equally important are those other inequalities that affect how we work in and engage with cultural heritage, including and not limited to ethnic background, disability and health, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, age, carer-status, marital status, etc. Without adequate data and insight into the problem, we can’t fully understand it. 

This has significant implications for our work in cultural heritage. Without knowing which professionals are represented in the cultural heritage sector and which aren’t, we can’t address the bigger questions of representation in the narratives we share and the collections we protect, preserve, nurture and grow. How can data collection help us take action to address these issues? 

This webinar considers representation in two respects: firstly, professionals working in culture and secondly, the general public, the audience for - and ultimate beneficiary of - our work. In the webinar discussion, we hear from two experts who reflect on the culture and practicalities of diversity data collection, and discuss topics like legislation, data collection realities, GDPR, good practice and growing capacity and expertise. The webinar looks at this from a pan-European lens and from the realities of data collection for an institution on the ground in one of Europe’s member states. Speakers reflect on what changes when we do diversity data collection right, and who stands to benefit and how. 

This webinar has been organised by colleagues in Europeana Foundation’s Diversity and Inclusion cross-team. It took place on 18 November 2021.

Deborah Williams, actress, playwright and Executive Director of the UK’s Creative Diversity Network, leads the UK’s approach to gathering equality data in UK broadcasting. She is an adviser to the UN and UNICEF on the rights of disabled people to cultural activities. She designed the British Film Institute (BFI) diversity standards and developed and implemented Arts Council England’s equality analysis process for public sector equality duty compliance. Deborah is known in her own right as an artist provocateur having won awards and nominations nationally and internationally. Her work in theatre is acknowledged as a catalyst for challenge and change in perceptions of disability and difference. Read more about project Diamond, the system used to obtain diversity data about the people making UK television. Twitter: @cdndebs

Magda Boulabiza is Advocacy Officer at the European Network Against Racism. ENAR is the only pan-European anti-racism network that combines advocacy for racial equality and facilitating cooperation among civil society anti-racism actors in Europe. Magda manages ENAR’s Equal@Work platform, a multi-stakeholder initiative designed to provide concrete actions and solutions to discriminations faced by racialised people in the workplace. She has experience as a legal trainee in the field of migration and asylum law, where she advised and guided asylum seekers to obtain legal protection in France, in collaboration with several NGOs and public authorities. She has developed Corporate Social Responsibility content and best practices on diversity and inclusion of minority groups in the workplace for Fortune 500 companies. Twitter: @ENAREurope

• European Network Against Racism, 2016, 'Equality data collection: facts and principles'.

• European Network Against Racism, 2016, 'Combating inequality and discrimination in employment - Data collection as a necessary step to plan action'.

• High Level Group on Non-discrimination, Equality and Diversity: Subgroup on Equality Data, 2018, 'Guidelines on improving the collection and use of equality data'.

• High Level Group on Non-discrimination: Equality and Diversity Subgroup on Equality Data, 2018, 'Guidance note on the collection and use of equality data based on racial or ethnic origin'.

• European Network Against Racism, (2019): Intersectional discrimination in Europe: relevance, challenges and ways forward. 

• EU guidance note (2021) on collecting data disaggregated by race and ethnicity.

• ENAR’s reports on data collection: Measure, Plan Act, how data collection can support racial equality providing an overview of the situation in Europe; and ENAR’s Equal@Work toolkit on equality data collection with concrete best practices and pragmatic advice targeted at workplaces.

• ESOMAR is a membership organisation for market, social, and opinion researchers carrying out surveys and data analysis. See their page on D&I where there are several videos, reports, and articles on best practices regarding the inclusion of racialised people in the data field.

• Afrozensus: an online survey that collected data on the realities of people of African descent in Germany, the discriminations they are facing and what they expect from policies. Concrete measures will be proposed to reduce racial discrimination and to protect and promote people of African descent in Germany.

• UNIA’s database on available equality data in Belgium (available in French and Dutch) and the report resulting from this exercise.

Do you want to know more or be involved in Europeana’s next steps or future discussions around diversity data in cultural heritage? Get in touch with us by emailing impact@europeana.eu.