MADS
Inclusion, Equality & Diversity Policy

MARCHINGTON AMATEUR DRAMATIC SOCIETY (M.A.D.S.) is a local amateur

dramatic society made up of members (amateur performing arts enthusiasts) who

pay a small annual membership fee to belong to the Society. Membership is open to

all members of the local community regardless of background, socio-economic status,

physical attributes and protected characteristics*, which include; race, colour,

nationality, ethnic or national origin, gender, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy

or maternity, sex or sexual orientation, age, disability and religion or belief. The

society has been established since 1922 and has a good reputation for producing

high-quality shows for local audiences.

OUR MISSION: INCLUSION, EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

Marchington Amateur Dramatic Society (M.A.D.S.) wants to proceed as a diverse and

inclusive organisation, accessible, welcoming and truly representative of the

population of Marchington and its surrounding areas, offering equality of opportunity

to our current and potential audiences, creatives and membership.

OUR VISION

Marchington Amateur Dramatic Society (M.A.D.S.), led by a committee of elected

members, appreciates and understands the value of theatre as an important tool for

physical and mental wellbeing, and the power of the platform for discussion and

change. We believe that the only way for the Society to maintain a position at the

heart of the community, is to ensure the community is put at the heart of the Society.

Our productions reach large numbers of audience members, so we are uniquely

positioned as an amateur theatre society to bring our community together to

experience the wide-ranging benefits of theatre and performance. Our role must be to

provide a safe, social and inclusive space, giving people with different backgrounds

and experiences opportunities to learn from one another, forge new friendships all

whilst learning and developing new and existing skills.

OUR COMMITMENT

We welcome and value the diversity of our members, audiences and creatives and

believe everyone has the right to be treated fairly, equitably and with respect. As a

commitment to ensuring Inclusion, Equality and Diversity of our members, audiences

and creatives, we have identified three key cases. These are:

• The Creative Case – with a diverse membership, we will ensure the Society

creates high-quality, engaging entertainment that is honest, reflective and rewarding

for its audiences and membership. We recognise that diverse teams in all areas of our

activity will ensure the Society continues to be effective, adaptive and resilient

• The Business Case – since Marchington Amateur Dramatic Society (M.A.D.S.) was

formed almost 100 years ago, audiences and society have changed and we want to

reach the audiences and members of the future, recognising that our loyal supporters

continue to expect best practice in diversity and inclusion• The Moral Case – Creating a diverse and inclusive community of members and

audiences has always been important to the Society. Therefore, we will continue to

review and improve our processes and understanding to ensure best practice.

OUR EXPECTATIONS

• Anti-discrimination – Marchington Amateur Dramatic Society (M.A.D.S.) does not

accept discrimination**, victimisation, bullying or harassment in all its forms,

including physical, verbal, written and online, towards any of its members, creatives

or audiences and will treat all instances of discrimination**, victimisation, bullying or

harassment extremely seriously, taking appropriate action in line with the Society’s

Complaints Policy and Procedures and Social Media Policy.

The Society will not discriminate or in any way treat anyone less favourably on the

grounds of any protected characteristics*.

The society will actively drive the aims of this policy and our accompanying inclusion

strategy, to promote Inclusion, Equality and Diversity in all aspects of the Society’s

activities and will challenge views, dialogue and actions of others that are not in line

with this policy.

• Equality of Opportunity – We acknowledge that some casting decisions are based

on requirements of a script and we will work with the rights holders when relevant to

achieve equality of opportunity. However, equality of opportunity does not just apply

to casting decisions. We will aim for equality of opportunity when seeking new

members, new committee members, creative teams, backstage and front of house

volunteers. When appropriate, we will take positive steps to meet the needs of

underrepresented communities, especially when making invitations to our events and

productions.

• Equality of Access – The Society will try to meet the access requirements of all

our members, audiences, and creatives. We aim to ensure that our meeting, event,

rehearsal and performance venues and spaces are accessible to all, including

wheelchair users. We can produce papers and scripts in large fonts, or provide audio

versions of documents where applicable, for those with visual impairments. If you are

disabled, become disabled, or have any other specific additional needs we encourage

you to tell us about your condition and requirements so that we can consider what

other reasonable adjustments or support may be appropriate to put in place.

In order to enact and maintain effective transformational change with regards to

Inclusion, Equality and Diversity, Marchington Amateur Dramatic Society (M.A.D.S.)

expects all members and employed creatives to adhere to the following rules:

• Value all members of the Society, audience members, appointed creatives and

volunteers irrespective of background, socio-economic status, physical attributes and

protected characteristics*

• Treat each other fairly and with respect

• Recognise and value the individuality of members of the Society and ensure

individual members receive any necessary support to participate in and access all

opportunities that membership of the Society provides

• Make reasonable efforts and adjustments to remove barriers for individuals that

may prevent them from participating in events, meetings, productions and

performances• Make reasonable efforts and adjustments to remove barriers for individuals that

may prevent them from volunteering backstage. However, we recognise that

backstage is an area in which safety is paramount and detailed risk assessments will

inform us of the safest working arrangements and the most suitable and appropriate

roles for individuals to undertake

• Report all instances of discrimination** to the Committee

• If instances of discrimination** are witnessed towards a member of the Society or

employed creative, this MUST be reported to the Committee

• All existing members and appointed creatives should encourage the promotion of

the Society as an Inclusive and accessible community

NB:

*Protected Characteristics include race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national

origin, gender, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, sex or sexual

orientation, age, disablity and religion or belief.(Equality Act, 2010).

**Discrimination is defined as “The unjust or prejudicial treatment of an individual

or group because of their protected characteristic/s*.” It is against the law to

discriminate against anyone because of their age, disability, gender, race, ethnicity,

marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity status, religion or belief, sex or

sexual orientation, as detailed in the Equality Act (2010).

Resources used to draft this statement:

https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/equality-act

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equalityact-guidance

https://www.noda.org.uk/download/166/factsheet-equalopportunities-policy-noda

Changes to this Inclusion, Equality and Diversity Policy

We may amend this policy from time to time; for example, to keep it up to date or to

comply with legal requirements.

How to contact us

For any questions or concerns relating to this Privacy Policy or our data protection

practices, or to make a Subject Access Request, please contact us in one of these

ways:

By phone to the Secretary, Caroline Knapton: 07971115026

By email: marchingtonmads@gmail.com

By post to: MADS, 2 Bridge Cottages, Church Lane, Marchington ST14 8LJ

Date: 15th August 2025