OUR COMPANY 

Strategic aim:  

We will be a representative organisation – Board, staff, Orchestra, ensembles, Youth Company – both in terms of how we reflect our local communities and how we bring the best in their fields to Liverpool.  By 2028 our company will have a gender balance and no gender pay gap. Within our workforce, representation will have increased from 3% from minority ethnic backgrounds and 4% disabled in 2018, working towards 11% from minority ethnic backgrounds and 12% disabled by 2028. 

Objectives 

1. Continuously improve our recruitment processes to be: 

• An organisation which is more representative of the City Region in its make-up  
• An organisation which is recognised by local communities as a welcoming and diverse organisation and an employer of choice.  

2. Support our workforce to ensure we are an organisation which understands and supports the needs of its diverse employees, removing discrimination barriers for both audience members and the workforce, and creating an inclusive environment.  

3. Ensure our Board is diverse in protected characteristics, perspectives and skills, and is leading the organisation in effective delivery of our Inclusivity and Relevance aims. 

4. Engage our whole organisation in our Inclusivity and Relevance goals and plans to ensure: 
- Full recognition, understanding and engagement in our strategy across the company 
- Successful delivery of our plan with full cross-organisational engagement. 

5. Communicate our plan and our progress externally to ensure we are:

• An organisation which is recognised as open, accessible, relevant and a leader in developing the diversity of our sector 
•  An organisation which celebrates a programme of work that reflects the diversity of the UK and global music industry 
•  An organisation which proactively supports local diverse music organisations. 
  
  
  

OUR AUDIENCES AND PARTICIPANTS 

Strategic Aim: 

We will develop and roll out an integrated approach to community engagement, combining participation and learning, audience development, talent development and training/employability, representing the breadth, depth and quality of Liverpool Philharmonic through community partnerships and residencies. These programmes will build on learning from In Harmony, LEAP into Live Music, talent development and employment schemes.   

Objectives  

6. Deliver and further develop a Youth Company which fully reflects the diversity of our communities. 

7. Deliver and further develop our In Harmony programme which helps improve  the life chances of children and young people in North Liverpool. 

 8. Work with schools and the education sector to ensure:  

• Engagement of young people from across our communities as they experience orchestral music, and connect with Liverpool Philharmonic 
• Delivery of Schools’ Concerts that are inclusive, and representative of our communities. 

 9. Deliver and further develop our Music and Health programme alongside NHS partners to improve the health of those with a range of mental and physical health issues across the City region, and create inclusive engagement of new audiences and participants in music making. 

10. Reach new communities, using music to improve life chances of children and young people through development of new In Harmony Youth Hubs. 

 11. Undertake audience development strategies to ensure an audience which is increasingly reflective of our diverse communities. 

 12. Deliver our Leap into Live Music programme, developing diverse audiences, identifying key individuals and organisations, and developing both existing and new relationships to engage more first-time attenders from minority ethnic communities. At least 25% of new Leap households will be from minority ethnic communities.  

 13. Develop our Singing Strategy objectives including increasing the diversity of our Choir. 

 14. Ensure our Hall and other venues are accessible and welcoming, and continue to grow our Access Scheme membership through increased promotion and communication of access provision to existing and potential members. We will: 

• Offer BSL interpretation at nine Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra concerts 
• Improve the accessibility of our venues for audience members who are experiencing sight loss 
• Ensure hearing assistance systems are operational and appropriate for people who require them 
• Enhance disabled access for performers. 

ARTISTIC PROGRAMME 

Strategic Aim: 

We will present an exciting and innovative programme that celebrates and reflects the diversity of the UK and the global music industry, and inspires the next generation of musicians and audiences. By 2028, we will programme events which in relation to their partners, their themes, or their lead artists, reflect the following targets – gender balance as per the local population; at least 6% minority ethnic; and at least 6% disabled.   

Objectives 

15. Deliver ethnic diversity in the artists and music making we present, ensuring:  

• A minimum 15% of artists promoted in the Music Room programme are from minority ethnic backgrounds 
• The monitoring, setting of a baseline and improvement targets for the cultural diversity of the Hall programme   
• Increased representation of minority ethnic communities in our Orchestra and Ensembles work. 

 16. Deliver gender diversity and balance in the artists and music making we present, ensuring: 

• 50:50 lead artist gender balance in our promoted Music Room programme 
• The monitoring, setting of a baseline and improvement targets in relation to gender balance in the Hall programme in 2024/25  
• Continuing growth in the representation of women conductors, composers and artists in our Orchestra and Ensembles work. 

 17. Work in partnership to help create greater diversity in our programme to ensure: 

• Completion of at least three formal partnership agreements with Liverpool-based culturally diverse organisations  
• Develop partnerships to present more work by neurodiverse artists. 
  
  

LEADERSHIP 

Strategic Aim 

We will have a strong leadership role in the sector, proactively supporting local diverse music organisations to grow and thrive, and also be a leader nationally and internationally in developing the diversity of our sector.   

Objectives 

18. Exercise leadership and proactively engage in local and national partnerships to ensure: 

• An increase in the number of minority ethnic musicians performing in and with our Orchestra  
• Increased diversity of work and audiences for culture in Liverpool. 

 19. Act as a leader in developing emerging talent in the sector, ensuring new opportunities are created for a diverse pool of individuals to fulfil their potential. 

Liverpool Philharmonic's Race Equality Manifesto

As arts and culture organisations in Liverpool City Region, we stand against racism and racial injustice. Hate and discrimination have no home in the arts or anywhere else.

We are committed to redressing the imbalances that exist in our sector, by creating opportunities for, increasing the positive visibility of, and promoting the inclusion of those who experience racism.

We jointly commit to the seven pledges of this Manifesto, in a dynamic campaign that tailors and scales our organisations’ activities to drive change. Collectively, we will support each other to uphold these pledges.

We will annually: review progress and any barriers; share new understanding; apply and review actions and targets set for each pledge; and actively challenge our organisations to stand against racism and racial injustice.

A LEARNING ORGANISATION

We are committed to being truly inclusive, and an organisation that is truly relevant to its community – its audiences, participants, and the wider communities of our city. We will only achieve this ambition with true leadership, commitment, and self-refection. We need to keep learning, keep reviewing, keep building our understanding of what it means to be truly inclusive. To that end we will be active in reading, sharing knowledge, drawing on the skills and ideas of our company, and also drawing on knowledge and information from elsewhere, both within and beyond the music sector. The senior management will share and build a continuing library of studies, reports, and information which will help us in this aim.

August 2024