Aims

Nairn Book and Arts Festival believes that no child, individual, or family should be excluded from the Festival’s activities on the grounds of age, gender, health, sexuality, class, family status, means, ability, colour, ethnic origin, culture, religion, or belief. We aim to ensure that all who wish to attend, or volunteer to help with, our Festival should have an equal chance to do so.

We understand that equality of opportunity includes:

• those attending and/or participating in our events
• the employment, training, recruitment and selection of employees, sub-contractors, Committee members, and event volunteers 
• how we communicate, both internally and externally, including how we portray participants in our events

The Festival Board is responsible for ensuring that this policy is implemented and they will review this on an annual basis.

Employment and Volunteering

The Festival will appoint the best person for each job and will treat all applicants fairly. No applicant will be rejected on grounds that contravene the Festival’s Policy Statement. Commitment to implementing the Festival’s Equal Opportunities Policy will form part of the job description of all Festival workers, paid or unpaid.

Festival performers

The festival will ensure equality of opportunity for all entrants to perform in the festival as a basic right and will take such affirmative action as may be deemed lawful, appropriate and necessary to ensure that all entrants enjoy equality of opportunity. This festival will also provide an Equal Opportunities Complaints Procedure within its rules for any entrant who believes that inequitable treatment within the scope of this policy has been applied to her or him, which will allow the person to raise the matter and have it considered by the committee.

Discriminatory Behaviour/Remarks 

This is unacceptable at any time during the Festival organisational process, or at Festival events. Any member of staff or volunteer who feels they have been discriminated against or treated disrespectfully should discuss this with the Chair of the Festival, or a member of Festival staff. Any festival attendee who feels they have been discriminated against or treated disrespectfully should discuss this with a member of Festival staff, or a Board member. Depending on the circumstances, the incident will either be dealt with sensitively at the time by a member of the Festival Board, or it will then be discussed at a Board meeting and a decision will be made about the appropriate action to take. Any festival attendee accused of behaving in a way which is discriminatory or harassing at an event may be asked to leave. 

Any Board or committee member, volunteer or member of staff behaving in a discriminatory way that contravenes the Festival’s Equal Opportunities Policy may be asked to leave the Board/Committee/ the Festival’s employ, but before this they will have the opportunity to put across their point of view to the committee as per the Grievance Procedure.

Date of last review: 27 January 2026

Date of next review: 27 January 2027