Recognising & Reducing Unconscious Bias in Creative, Cultural & Heritage Workplaces

Course information

Unconscious bias shapes decisions every day. Often quietly, unintentionally, and with real consequences for people, projects, and organisations.

This interactive eLearning course is designed specifically for creative, cultural, and heritage workplaces, helping you recognise how unconscious bias, stereotyping, and prejudice show up in real-world settings, and what you can do to challenge them in practical, proportionate ways.

Through sector-relevant scenarios, reflective exercises, and clear legal context, you’ll move beyond awareness and build the confidence to make fairer, more inclusive decisions in your work.

Duration: 4-4.5 hours

Course overview

• Identify and Understand Bias: Gain a clear understanding of unconscious bias and how it manifests in daily interactions and professional practice.
• Impact on Work: Explore how bias can influence safeguarding, project management, team dynamics, and recruitment processes, often leading to inequitable outcomes.
• Mitigation Strategies: Learn practical approaches to reduce the influence of bias in decisions, policies, and organisational culture.
• Self-Reflection and Growth: Engage with reflection activities designed to help you recognise your own biases and respond constructively.

Who is this course for?

This course is suitable for anyone working or volunteering in creative, cultural, or heritage settings, including:

• Staff, freelancers, and volunteers
• Managers, producers, project leads, and trustees
• Front-of-house, learning, participation, and engagement teams
• Organisations working with children, young people, communities, or audiences

No prior knowledge is required. The course is accessible, reflective, and relevant whether you’re new to the topic or refreshing your understanding.

What you’ll learn

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

• Clearly distinguish between unconscious bias, stereotyping, and prejudice
• Recognise how different types of bias show up in casting, recruitment, project management, safeguarding, consultation, and audience engagement
• Understand how unconscious bias intersects with equity, diversity, and the Equality Act 2010
• Identify common bias patterns that affect youth voice, group dynamics, and inclusion
• Apply practical strategies to reduce bias in meetings, recruitment, decision-making, and organisational culture
• Reflect on your own assumptions and plan realistic actions for ongoing improvement

What makes this course different?

This isn’t a generic unconscious bias course. It has been developed specifically for creative, cultural, and heritage contexts, using examples that reflect the realities of your work, from casting decisions and community projects to front-of-house interactions and internal meetings.

The course is:

• Highly interactive – with videos, scenarios, sliders, flashcards, and decision-making exercises
• Reflective but practical – encouraging honest self-reflection alongside clear actions
• Grounded in UK legislation – including the Equality Act 2010 and sector-relevant guidance
• Designed for real change – focusing on processes and behaviours, not blame

You’ll be encouraged to pause, question assumptions, and test fairer ways of working, all without judgement or oversimplification.

What others are saying

"I found the assumptions we make about people in our day to day lives eye opening."

Pricing options:

1 years access for £35

18 months access for £49

This course is brought to you by the expert trainers at Artswork Professional Development, who are proud to share their decades of experience of personal and professional development within the creative, cultural and heritage sectors.