Scotland's Year of Stories 2022: equality impact assessment

Part 1 - Executive Summary

Context

The Themed Year approach is a Scottish Government initiative, which aims to showcase some of Scotland's strongest tourism assets and other key aspects of society by providing a collaborative platform for multiple partners to work together and maximise benefits. The approach is under-pinned by an events programme (funded and unfunded/partner) and related marketing, PR and industry engagement activity, led by VisitScotland. A number of bodies across Scotland are also supporting Scotland's Year of Stories by delivering their own events and initiatives and in collaboration with other partners.

The primary aim of the Themed Years is to boost Scotland's key tourism and events sectors: however in addition to this the Themed Years also have significant potential to make a contribution right across the Scottish Government's national outcomes, including:

• boosting equality and cultural diversity;
• enhancing community engagement, cultural participation, empowerment, fairness and social inclusion; and
• creating a legacy and also cultural momentum to be harnessed in future years.

Scotland's Year of Stories boosts the Creative Industries as they recover from the impacts of COVID-19. The Creative Industries make a significant contribution to Scotland's economy. For example, in 2018, the Creative Industries in Scotland contributed £4.6 billion GVA to the Scottish economy^[1]. This represents a steady increase since 2010. In 2019, the Creative Industries sector employed 90,000 people^[2]. Writing and Publishing was the third largest sub-sector of the creative industries (this also includes newspapers and magazines).

Scotland's Year of Stories will sustain and build upon the momentum of the preceding Themed Years to spotlight, celebrate and promote the wealth of stories inspired by, written, or created in Scotland. From icons of literature to local tales, the Year will encourage locals and visitors to experience a diversity of voices, take part in events and explore the places, people and cultures connected to all forms of our stories, past and present. It will contribute to recovery from COVID-19 and inspire new stories of Scotland to be shared.

This document focuses on identifying the headline evidence and related opportunities to boost equality though Scotland's Year of Stories, Scotland's 12^th Themed Year. Previous themes have included food and drink, active, creative, natural, innovation/architecture/design, history/heritage/archaeology, young people and coasts/waters.

Partners have agreed that the Scottish Government will lead the Equality Impact Assessment process for the Scotland's Year of Stories. The delivery of the opportunities that this process has identified are led by the Scottish Government, VisitScotland and the other partners supporting the Year.

The evidence- and also learning and lessons from previous Themed Years and other initiatives such as previous seasons of Scotland's Winter Festivals - highlights particular opportunities for Scotland's Year of Stories to boost equality related to intersectional, age (both children and young people and older people), race/ multi-cultural, disability, sexual orientation and socio-economic disadvantage characteristics and these are therefore the focus in this Equality Impact Assessment.

Impacts and lessons and learning from the actions delivered to boost equality through Scotland's Year of Stories will be captured in the Year's wider impact report which will be published in 2023.

Other related Equality Impact Assessment's include the COVID-19 Events Sectoral Guidance Equality Impact Assessment is available using this link: Coronavirus (COVID-19): events sector guidance: equality and Fairer Scotland impact assessment - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Findings

Note on statistical sources

It should be noted that the fieldwork for the 2020 Scottish Household Survey was suspended due to COVID and only a small proportion of the 2020 survey has been completed, using telephone surveys. We are therefore unable to obtain detailed information for 2020 on many groups. Where figures for 2020 are held, these are not directly comparable with the Scottish Household Survey 2019. Where figures are not held for 2020, the latest figures from the 2019 Scottish Household Survey are retained.

Scotland's Year of Stories Equality Impact Assessment findings are that:

General

• Scotland's Year of Stories has no negative impacts on any of the protected characteristics and therefore partner activity should focus on harnessing the full potential of the Year to boost equality, inclusion and diversity. However participation in culture can be lower for some of the protected groups and through Scotland's Year of Stories we are taking proactive steps to address this which will generate impacts in 2022 and also create a legacy for the future;
• To enhance equality through Scotland's Year of Stories it is important to build on the successes and lessons/learning from the previous Themed Years, other Major Events like the previous seasons of Scotland's Winter Festivals, VisitScotland's Inclusive Tourism Project and also to link into key strategies such as the National Events Strategy 2015-2025, the Scotland Outlook 2030 Tourism Strategy and also the Scottish Government Race Equality Framework and Action Plan;
• Significant wider partner activity to boost equality through tourism and events is already underway. For example the suite of tools to boost inclusive tourism available from Accessible & Inclusive Tourism - Marketing Toolkit: VisitScotland.org. Where possible this existing activity should also be built on for Scotland's Year of Stories. In addition opportunities for new bespoke actions should be explored, particularly if they add long term value, with a focus on activities which not only boost Scotland's Year of Stories but also leave a legacy for the future;
• Learning from previous Themed Years and previous seasons of Scotland's Winter Festivals identifies that to maximise the impacts of the Equality Impact Assessment process it is vital that any related actions are not promoted as separate initiatives but are fully mainstreamed into the wider package of activity being delivered by partners. This tackles inequalities, boosts community engagement and empowerment and showcases the central role of people with protected characteristics as an integral part of Scotland's wider and culturally diverse communities;
• Robust external evidence- focusing on people with intersectional/protected characteristics- in support of the Scotland's Year of Stories opportunity is very limited. However there is available data around culture and stories which showcases the opportunity related to the wider population which will also be relevant for the purposes of this Equality Impact Assessment;
• Scotland's Year of Stories strategic plan from VisitScotland puts access, inclusion and diversity at its heart:
• "Access, Inclusion and Diversity: The remit of Scotland's Year of Stories encompasses all aspects of our tourism offering. We will develop the platform to celebrate the broadest range of visitor experiences in relation to the theme, with a focus on unique, authentic experiences, sustainable tourism and place. We will encourage all partners to consider the accessibility of the stories that they tell and the forms in which they communicate. Scotland has many voices. Scotland's Year of Stories will seek to include and promote a diversity of voices such as emerging and undiscovered talent, underrepresented groups, our Indigenous languages, young people, and new Scots communities";
• the Open Events Programme evaluation criteria was very clear in terms of what would be prioritised for support, this included: "Alignment with access, inclusion and diversity objectives including promotion of emerging and undiscovered talent, underrepresented groups, our indigenous languages, young people, and new Scots communities";
• the Community Stories Fund application asked how activity would target "any particular audiences within your communities, such as young people, multicultural communities or people that have recently made Scotland their home"; and
• the Scotland's Year of Stories Community Fund has the potential to significantly boost diversity and cultural participation as evidenced by the wide range of events which are being supported, many of which are delivered by representative groups and diverse communities. See Part 5 "Recommendations and Conclusions". To achieve maximum profile- and to inspire further participation- the funding offered in support of Scotland's Year of Stories needs to showcase events which specifically aim to engage protected groups or are delivered by them ideally via a dedicated Communication Plan with input from all lead partners.

COVID-19

• The impact of COVID-19 on communities has been unprecedented with many with protected characteristics such as race, age, disability and socio-economic disadvantage having been hardest hit. As we move towards recovery Scotland's Year of Stories provides communities with the opportunity to reflect on the preceding period, to recognise the NHS and all the other organisations and people who have worked so hard to support them and also look towards the future with renewed hope.

Intersectional

• Robust external evidence to demonstrate the benefits of storytelling on people with intersectional/protected characteristics is limited. More widely though there is some data focused on the wider population which is also relevant for the purposes of this Equality Impact Assessment.
• One of the most effective ways to welcome all of the protected groups is through focused marketing and PR activity to underline the welcome and also to ensure that people see their communities reflected in media, for example via promotional images. For example 73% of respondents to Equality Network/VisitScotland research on LGBT tourism said that an LGBT friendly reputation was an important factor in their choice of destination Scottish-LGBT-Travel-Report.pdf (equality-network.org).

Age: Children and Young People

• Scotland's Year of Stories appears to provide particular opportunities to further engage children and young people, particularly building on the successes of the 2018 Year of Young People and the subsequent young people-centred activities under the Micro Local Activity Grant Program (MOLAG) led by YouthLink Scotland on behalf of Scottish Government during the Year of Coasts and Waters 2020/21. A key learning from the Year of Young People is that it's vital that young people have a voice at the very centre of policy design and delivery by utilising a co-design approach. Recent research provides substantial evidence that pupils who enjoy reading high quality books score higher in tests. The average marks of pupils who read books rose by 0.22 points overall, which is the equivalent of 3 months' worth of additional secondary school academic growth. (2020- University College London and the University of Malaga). More broadly there is a growing body of evidence which illustrates the importance of reading for pleasure for both educational purposes as well as personal development.
• It is essential that the lessons and learning from the Year of Young People 2018 is central to the design and delivery of Scotland's Year of Stories in 2022.

Age: Older People

• There are significant opportunities to encourage older people to engage in Scotland's Year of Stories, building on evidence such as:
  • the Scottish Household Survey 2020 figures shows levels of cultural attendance, in 2020, were generally higher among the younger age groups, although there were differences in the cultural activities attended by younger and older age groups; and
  • 55% of adults aged 16 to 24 attended a cultural event or place of culture (including the cinema) compared to 23% of those aged 75 and over (Scottish Household Survey 2020, Telephone Survey).

Race/Multi-cultural and faith communities

• Feedback from BEMIS Scotland is that Scotland's Year of Stories has significant potential to boost race equality and cultural diversity as part of the wider package of activity already underway to deliver the Scottish Government's Race Equality Framework. BEMIS Scotland have also confirmed that multi-cultural communities across Scotland are very keen to engage in the Year - showcasing their stories, traditions and journeys and also what Scotland now means for them as their home.
• The Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER) co-ordinated the first Black History Month programme in Scotland 20 years ago, and in recent years, Black History Month has gone from strength to strength, with partners across community, voluntary and public sectors contributing dozens of events every October. Black History Month appears to offer opportunities to engage multi-cultural communities in Scotland's Year of Stories.

Disability

• There is a growing body of evidence related to the engagement of disabled and older people in tourism, culture and events - boosted by data gathered in support of VisitScotland's Inclusive Tourism Project^[3]. For example, in 2011, the proportion of people in Scotland with a long-term activity-limiting health problem or disability was 20% (1,040,000 people) (2011 Scotland census). This evidence identifies an opportunity to boost accessibility of events and activities celebrating Scotland's Year of Stories building on the related suite of inclusive toolkits and other support delivered and funded as a legacy of the earlier Themed Years.
• In all cases providing full and clear information on the accessibility of each event and attraction celebrating Scotland's Year of Stories is key, including the journey to and from the site, recognising that not all of this is within the control of the event organiser.

Sexual Orientation

• VisitScotland/Equality Network Research suggests that proactively welcoming and inviting the LGBTI community to take part in tourism and events is essential to achieve maximum impacts and boost equality.
• Existing annual events like LGBT History month and Pride related activities (virtual or real life) appear to offer particular opportunities to engage the LGBTI community in Scotland's Year of Stories.
• In addition, mainstreaming LGBTI content across all Scotland's Year of Stories activity will help raise awareness across wider society of Scotland's journey towards LGBTI equality and also the challenges and opportunities of the future.

Socio-economic disadvantage

• Although not directly in the scope of this Equality Impact Assessment there are also clearly intersectional opportunities to engage Scotland's most deprived communities – including as set out in the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation ^[4]- in Scotland's Year of Stories.

Headline actions

Building on the evidence available and the opportunity, a wide range of actions are being delivered to boost equality during Scotland's Year of Stories . Further detailed information is set out later in this paper. The headlines are set out under the relevant headings below.

It should be noted that much of the response to the opportunities identified in this Equality Impact Assessment are harnessed by two particular strands of partner activity:

• the Scotland's Year of Stories Open Events Fund plus the Community Stories Fund and partner event programme. Many of the 200+ funded events supported by the two funding programmes are showcased in this Equality Impact Assessment. However to get a full sense of how equality and diversity sit at the centre of Scotland's Year of Stories it is important to review all events supported by the Year which are showcased in detail at VisitScotland's website. The full Scotland's Year of Stories funded event programme is now in place and the related partner programme will continue to develop throughout the Year; and
• VisitScotland's Inclusive Tourism Toolkit which provides a growing range of Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Marketing tools and guides to boost accessible tourism (with a focus on disabled and older people) at: Accessible & Inclusive Tourism - Marketing Toolkit | VisitScotland.org

Evidence

Legacy

Learning and lessons from the Themed Years and previous seasons of Scotland's Winter Festivals highlights the importance of legacy activity and building the momentum around equality across a number of Themed Years.

Opportunity

On-going promotion of the tools and initiatives developed via the previous Themed Years which also have the potential to boost Scotland's Year of Stories.

Action

Legacy activity

• Accessible events guide (legacy of Year of Food and Drink 2015);
• Easy Does it Guide (legacy of Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design 2016);
• Diversity photo project (a legacy of the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology 2017); and
• Accessibility Guide (legacy of the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology).

Accessibility guides for the Year of Food and Drink 2015, the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design 2016, the Diversity photo project and the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology are available using this URL: VisitScotland Inclusive Tourism Toolkit

Scotland's Year of Stories projects supported will develop a number of legacy outcomes including the development of expertise amongst the communities delivering events and legacy materials that will ensure the stories told were not limited to a point in time and can be shared with diverse groups going forward (e.g. books, trails, podcasts, film, Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Capture etc.). For example Deaf Action (Community Story grantee) will create a rich digital archive of stories and history through their funded project.

Intersectional

Evidence

Evidence from stakeholder engagement highlights that one of the most effective ways to welcome all of the protected groups is through focused marketing and PR activity to underline the welcome and also to ensure that people see their communities reflected in media, for example via promotional images.

Organisations such as BEMIS Scotland have confirmed that there is significant demand to join the celebration of Scotland's Year of Stories within the communities they represent, many of which are intersectional.

Learning from previous Themed Years and previous seasons of Scotland's Winter Festivals identifies that to maximise the impacts of the Equality Impact Assessment process it is vital that any related actions are fully mainstreamed into the wider package of activity being delivered by partners.

Opportunity

To fully harness the benefits of storytelling to people with protected characteristics and also the wider population.

Action

The Scottish Government provided VisitScotland with funding of £4,500 in 2020 to enhance their Digital Media Library with images showcasing people with protected characteristics celebrating the Themed Years in the context of Scotland's wider Inclusive Growth Strategy. These images will primarily be used in VisitScotland marketing and PR activity and will also be available free of charge to other partners. VisitScotland - Inclusive images and videos of Scotland

VisitScotland will explore the opportunities to showcase and celebrate Scotland's diversity as an integral part of all of its marketing and PR activity for Scotland's Year of Stories.

With an increased diversity of funded projects, the images and copy promoting these activities are core promotional tools for the Year of Stories, thus reflecting a diversity of groups, stories and voices in line with the strategic plan for the Year.

Age: Children and Young People

Evidence

93% of the Scottish population believes that creative activity is essential for children and young people's learning and well-being, 77% believe that arts education in schools is as important as science education (Creative Scotland Public survey on creativity, 56 Degree Insight 2020).

88% agree that literature should play a part in everyone's education (Literature in Britain Today, Royal Society of Literature, 2017).

Opportunity

To engage young people in Equality Impact Assessment building on the success of the 2018 Year of Young People.

Action

Building on the 2018 Year of Young People, children and young people sit at the heart of Scotland's Year of Stories. Many of the funded events for the Year entirely or partly focus on children and young people and the marketing and PR of the Year is being continuously developed to ensure young people continue to be engaged throughout 2022. The diversity of the programme and associated promotion will very clearly target specific groups and organisations.

For example, Year of Stories is working with Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) to deliver 'Yoyo and the Little Auk' which has been developed with their Early Years Advisory Board and Youth Advisory Board. The focus is on helping children understand migration and cultural diversity. The project aims to encourage participation and engagement with Scotland's diverse communities and has partnered with the community-led charity 'Refuweegee' amongst others. The promotional activity will target early years, schools and parents through RSNO, education and partner channels, reaching a wide and diverse audience.

Scotland's Year of Stories benefits from multiple partner campaigns alongside a strong umbrella campaign which promotes the overall Scotland's Year of Stories programme of activity and attractions and encourages cross-fertilisation of interest and audiences. Each of EventScotland's delivery partners undertakes a specific targeted campaign for their Scotland's Year of Stories event or activity, thus ensuring the collective reach of the Year is both broad and targeted.

In relation to demographics for Scotland's Year of Stories umbrella comms and paid campaigns - the main objective is about reach, thus protected characteristics are included in this generic approach as well as through the very targeted promotions specific to particular audiences.

As part of the umbrella campaign mix, Scotland's Year of Stories will utilise influencers to target a younger audience.

Age: Older People

Evidence

There is a clear relationship between the age of a visitor to the UK and the likelihood of them reporting a health condition or impairment. 65% of those visiting with an impairment were over 55 in age compared to 21% of all inbound visitors to the UK (VisitBritain).

IPSOS – Tracking the Coronavirus Report, Scotland has found that older people (over 55) are more anxious about returning to events than younger people (under 35). Those who are most worried about the health impact of the virus are most cautious about returning to venues and events. This includes older age groups who are generally most concerned.

55% of adults aged 16 to 24 attended a cultural event or place of culture (including the cinema) compared to 23% of those aged 75 and over (Scottish Household Survey 2020, Telephone Survey 2020).

Adults aged 75 or over (75%) were more likely to read books for pleasure than adults aged 16 to 24 (59%).

When excluding reading, adults aged 16 to 24 (76%) were more likely to have participated in a cultural activity than adults aged 75 or over (44%) (Scottish Household Survey 2020, Telephone Survey).

Opportunity

To boost the accessibility of Scotland's Year of Stories events for older people.

Action

Older people sit at the heart of Scotland's Year of Stories with many funded events such as Open Book's Stories Across Scotland showcasing their experiences of life in Scotland now and in the past and also their hopes for the future through storytelling.

Information relevant to disability is also available under Regional Tourism Itineraries on the VisitScotland website, which is an expanding resource^[5].

As outlined above, specific projects and campaigns will target specific groups relevant to that activity, whilst the Scotland's Year of Stories umbrella campaign will achieve a broad reach across the widest range of groups. As part of this mix, VisitScotland will target the older age brackets through email marketing with relevant content and messages.

Projects such as the Perth and Kinross Year of Stories plan to work with a community group for older people who were feeling isolated; the Scotland's Year of Stories: Community Campfires project plans to work with older people, during its tour, including visiting care homes; Seanachas in the Western Isles plan is to include home visits to the elderly by authors as part of their programme of activity.

Sex: Women

Evidence

88% of women had participated in a cultural activity, including reading, in the last year compared to only 78% of men (Scottish Household Survey 2020, Telephone Survey 2020).

The accessibility of an event is potentially a barrier to the participation of families with babies and young children using buggies and strollers.

Opportunity

Apart from intersectional aspects no evidence of any additional specific opportunities related to Scotland's Year of Stories have been identified at this time.

Action

The programme provides many opportunities to showcase women's stories and encourage women to participate in activity: Perth & Kinross' Wire Women and the surrounding programme is an example of how Women's stories are being platformed and shared in the Scotland's Year of Stories event programme; An Tinne in Skye will feature an all female cast; Projects such as Figures of Speech will select and platform women's literature and song.

VisitScotland's Inclusive Tourism Toolkit which provides a growing range of tools and guides to boost inclusive tourism.

Sex: Men

Evidence

88% of women had participated in a cultural activity, including reading, in the last year compared to only 78% of men (Scottish Household Survey 2020, Telephone Survey 2020).

The accessibility of an event is potentially a barrier to the participation of families with babies and young children using buggies and strollers.

Opportunity

As above

Action

VisitScotland's Inclusive Tourism Toolkit which provides a growing range of tools and guides to boost inclusive tourism, including for families with babies and young children using buggies and strollers.

Projects such as Scottish Book Trust's Community Campfires will collect and showcase stories from people with different genders.

Race/multi-cultural and faith communities

Evidence

Feedback from BEMIS Scotland (who lead the multi-cultural celebration of Scotland's Winter Festivals in 2021/22) is that there is significant demand amongst multi-cultural communities to join the celebration of Scotland's Year of Stories and to be a central component of its event programme.

This boosts cultural diversity and provides communities with the opportunity to showcase their own stories, traditions and unique cultural heritage and also what Scotland means for them as their home.

As the most recent figures available, the 2019 Scottish Household Survey figures show the percentage of adults who attended a cultural event/place in the last 12 months varied by ethnicity of respondents in 2019 was broadly similar for all ethnic groups in 2019, although it is not possible to obtain detailed information on many groups (Scottish Household Survey 2019).

As the most recent figures available, the Cultural attendance was highest for people from the 'White other' and 'Other ethnic' ethnic group (87% and 84%), and lowest for people from the 'White Scottish' ethnic group (79%) (Scottish Household Survey 2019).

Opportunity

To promote Scotland's Year of Stories events and activities to multi-cultural communities.

Action

The Scottish Government has provided VisitScotland with funding of £4,500 in 2020 to enhance their Digital Media Library with images showcasing people with protected characteristics celebrating the Themed Years in the context of Scotland's wider Inclusive Growth Strategy^[6]. These images will primarily be used in VisitScotland marketing and PR activity and will also be available free of charge to other partners.

A number of events supported by the Scotland's Year of Stories Community Stories Fund engage Scotland's multi-cultural communities. See Part 5- Recommendations and Conclusions.

In addition, supported by funding from the Scottish Government, as a legacy of the multicultural celebration of Scotland's Winter Festivals 2021/22 season BEMIS Scotland worked with multicultural communities across Scotland to deliver a series of events preparing to celebrate Scotland's Year of Stories.

These events were designed and delivered by multi-cultural communities to showcase Scotland's unique cultural diversity alongside their own traditions, stories and what Scotland means for them as their home.

The Events Funding opportunities are designed to drive a diverse programme in terms of content as well as the communities delivering and engaging with Scotland's Year of Stories.

Religion/Faith

Evidence

For the purposes of this Equality Impact Assessment religion/faith is considered alongside race/multi-cultural communities.

Action

Stories will be collected from people of different backgrounds including faith backgrounds.

Disability

Evidence

In 2011, the proportion of people in Scotland with a long-term activity-limiting health problem or disability was 20% (1,040,000 people) (2011 Scotland census).

Feedback from organisations representing disabled people highlights that for events the provision of comprehensive accessibility information on the journey to the site and at the site itself is key (partner feedback).

65% of those visiting with a disability were over 55 in age compared to 21% of all inbound visitors to the UK (VisitBritain).

Opportunity

Provision of information on accessibility.

Welcoming disabled and older people to Scotland's Year of Stories events and other activities.

Action

VisitScotland has also been provided with £20,000 from the Scottish Government to deliver Regional Accessible Tourism Itineraries. Each itinerary focuses on disabled and older people and will showcase accessible things to see and do right across Scotland, with a geographical focus^[7], and also linking into initiatives such as Scotland's Year of Stories . The itineraries are becoming an integral part of VisitScotland's Inclusive Tourism Toolkit which includes a range of information and guides to boost accessibility and inclusive tourism more widely.

In addition, the Scotland's Year of Stories Community Stories Fund is funding Deaf Action Scotland's Preserving and Celebrating Edinburgh's Deaf Heritage initiative as set out above.

As well as plans to create a British Sign Language version of the main promotional video for the Year^[8] to ensure it's accessible, there will be British Sign Language interpretation at a range of events. Captions will be provided across promotional and skills development video content/webinars.

Accessibility and inclusivity underpins Scotland's Year of Stories funded events criteria – see details below:

Open Fund – inclusivity is explicit in Scotland's Year of Stories "Info for Applications" document for the Open Events Fund which set out, for example:

"[Scotland's Year of Stories] will be inclusive, embracing a wide range of activity and content aligned to the themes with a focus on widening awareness, engagement and participation and promoting access, inclusion, and diversity."

And in the Evaluation criteria the selection panel took the following into consideration/assessed against:

• Potential to extend participation and broaden engagement across the programme strands (including with Scotland's diverse communities and underrepresented groups and involvement of young people in the co-design and delivery of the event);and
• Opportunities the event offers around outreach, participation, boosting equality outcomes and community engagement in line with VisitScotland's Inclusive Tourism Toolkit and Accessible Events Guide.

Community Stories Fund - the criteria for the fund stated:

"[VisitScotland] will support activities that are accessible and inclusive and, where a charge exists, affordable, and that contribute to community wellbeing in the context of Covid-19 recovery".

Also "[VisitScotland] will be looking to support activity that promotes sustainable development practices and wherever possible uses local suppliers".

The "approach to accessibility and inclusivity" was actively considered as part of the assessment process.

[VisitScotland] stated that funding would prioritise projects that focused "on multicultural communities, people that have recently made Scotland their home and young people".

[VisitScotland] also stated that they would ensure "representation of a diversity of voices".

The application form specifically asked: "Tell us who you are seeking to engage through your event(s) and how you will promote your activity to let them know it is taking place. We want to hear whether you are targeting your activities at any particular audiences within your communities, such as young people, multicultural communities or people that have recently made Scotland their home, and your marketing plans to reach them."

The assessment process also took into consideration information about charging, and whether this would make events inaccessible to some, and additional provision that organisers had made such as physical access, use of indigenous languages, British Sign Language interpretation etc.

Sexual Orientation

Evidence

LGBTI visitors do attach significant importance to the warm welcome they can expect from a destination and also how they will be treated in their accommodation and how safe they will be (Equality Network/VisitScotland research).

As the most recent figures available, in 2019 adults identified themselves as 'gay, lesbian or bisexual' were more likely to have experienced discrimination in the previous 12 months (22 per cent) compared to only 7 per cent of heterosexual or straight adults (Scottish Household Survey 2019).

Opportunity

Specific welcome and invitation to the LGBTI community to take part in the Year.

Action

VisitScotland's website provides a wealth of information to welcome LGBTI visitors to Scotland during Scotland's Year of Stories. LGBT+ holidays in Scotland | VisitScotland.

In addition, the Scotland's Year of Stories Community Stories Fund is funding The Pink Triangle Podcast (as set out below) to further showcase some of the untold stories of the diverse LGBTI community in Scotland.

Events that appeal to LGBTI audiences will be promoted across the marketing campaigns once the media plan is confirmed.

A range of webinars will be offered to supported events to help them plan and deliver effective, welcoming events – this will include a focus on diversifying audiences.

Marriage and Civil Partnership

Evidence

Apart from intersectional aspects no evidence of any additional specific opportunities related to Scotland's Year of Stories have been identified at this time.

Pregnancy and Maternity

As above

Gender Reassignment

As above

Socio- Economic Disadvantage

Evidence

The Scottish Household Survey figures shows levels of cultural attendance increase as deprivation - as measured by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD)- decreases.

This was the situation in 2019 and whilst the Scottish Household Survey 2020 figures are not comparable with previous years, in 2020 36% of adults living in the 20% most deprived areas had attended a cultural event or place of culture, including the cinema, compared to 53% of adults living in the 20% least deprived areas (Scottish Household Survey 2020, Telephone Survey 2020).

Adults living in the 20% least deprived areas were more likely to have attended historic places, museums and art galleries in the last year than those living in the 20% most deprived areas. The proportion of adults from the least and most deprived areas that had visited libraries was similar (Scottish Household Survey 2020) Telephone Survey 2020).

Opportunity

To actively showcase Scotland's Year of Stories events and wider opportunities to disadvantaged communities.

Action

Events supported by the Scotland's Year of Stories Community Stories Fund aim to engage Scotland's most deprived communities in Scotland's Year of Stories. These include "Edinburgh Festival Carnival - 'Carnival Stories'" and "Mining seams and drawing wells: a living archive for Easterhouse" as set out under the criteria above.

The design of the Scotland's Year of Stories programme ensures that there is a mix of events across the widest range of venues and in the widest range of communities. Many of these events will be free and many will be local to audiences, thus addressing some key barriers for attendance.

Recommendation and conclusions

Looking across all of the Themed Years since 2009, Scotland's Year of Stories has perhaps the strongest potential to enhance equality and showcase diversity given the widely acknowledged power of storytelling to help us connect with one another and share our experiences.

This Equality Impact Assessment provides a snap-short of the significant amount of current and planned partner activity to harness this potential, with a focus on accessibility for disabled and older people and also boosting the wider participation of:

• disabled and older people;
• children and young people;
• the LGBTI community;
• multi-cultural communities;
• Scotland's most deprived communities;

and also intersecting identities (as set out at Part 4 – "Key Findings").

Throughout Scotland's Year of Stories lead partners will continue to continuously develop their programmes to harness new and emerging opportunities, including those to boost equality. For example, the event and other activities supported by the second round of grant funding from the Community Stories Fund (delivered in partnership by VisitScotland and by Museum Galleries Scotland) – were subject to additional assessment to ensure that protected groups, which were under represented in the results of Round 1, were given due prominence in Round 2.

This, and the preceding targeted engagement (through general PR from VisitScotland and via partner's networks and their stakeholder communication routes) during Round 2 publicity, helped highlight the particular opportunities for fund engagement from young people and the LGBT community, enhancing the accessibility of events and also ensuring that the stories and traditions of Scotland's multi-cultural communities continue to sit at the heart of the event programme and any related marketing and PR activities. This inclusivity has been hardwired into the programme design as evidenced in both the strategic plan for the Year and as set out in the assessment criteria in the published grant application documents etc.

Ensuring Scotland's more deprived communities are invited to participate in Scotland's Year of Stories is also hardwired into the approach and will be monitored throughout the year by Steering and Working Groups, chaired by VisitScotland.

Paid marketing campaigns will target predominantly a Scottish audience, reaching some of the most socially deprived areas of Scotland with our activity.

Many of the funded events will take place within socially deprived areas and it is expected a number of the Community Stories Events will be developed and delivered by and within these communities.

In addition, one of the key strengths of the Themed Year approach is the strengthening of partnerships and this, along with the events and activities supported, will create a legacy which will continue to enhance equality long after the finale of Scotland's Year of Stories building a momentum for any future Themed Years and other Major Events hosted in Scotland. To maximise this legacy, impacts, lessons and learning from all the equality activity in support of Scotland's Year of Stories needs to be carefully recorded and widely shared with a substantive feature in the Scotland's Year of Stories wider impact report (see Part 6 – "Measuring and Evaluation").

Meantime, to address the opportunities explored at Parts 1-4 of this Equality Impact Assessment, it is clear that a wide and significant range of events and activities are already being delivered by the Scottish Government, VisitScotland and a range of other partners to boost equality as part of Scotland's Year of Stories.