Tonic Changemakers

A membership programme for people doing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion work in the arts and cultural sector

Tonic Changemakers is a community of likeminded people who are committed to driving EDI-related change in the arts and cultural sector. It is also a first of its kind hub of training, support and professional development opportunities designed specifically for EDI changemakers.

As a member of Tonic Changemakers you receive:

• Access to a rolling programme of training, workshops and events, delivered online and in person throughout the year
• A 10% discount on Tonic training and consultancy for your organisation*
• Connection to a network of likeminded colleagues in arts and cultural
organisations. Hear how they are approaching their EDI work and share your insights and achievements
• Regular trouble-shooting sessions. Got a challenge? Come and work it through with other Changemakers and a member of the Tonic team
• Access to specially designed templates, resources and information to support you in your EDI work
• A Tonic Changemakers logo for your organisation’s website and an email signature graphic for you, so you can proudly tell the world you’re a Changemaker
• Exclusive invitations to other Tonic events & opportunities throughout the year

*Excludes Participate student sessions. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount.

Further details, including membership fees, can be found below.

DOWNLOAD FURTHER DETAILS

We are currently accepting sign ups for Tonic Changemakers.

If you’d like to have a conversation about whether Tonic Changemakers is right for you, or would like your employer to have the chance to find out more, contact Charlotte de Paeztron, charlotte@tonictheatre.co.uk to arrange a time for an informal chat with one of our team.

Tonic Changemakers session. Photo by Tom Lovatt

“I absolutely love it! Definitely the highlight in my calendar each time the opportunity comes round for us all to gather as a group.”
Aynsley cowan-young, newcastle theatre royal

“The sessions have helped me keep EDI work at the centre of my focus and carve out time and space to think deeply about it. Halfway through the year, my confidence in taking EDI work forward has increased enormously.”
victoria walker, paul mellon centre for studies in british art

Upcoming Events

NEW for 2025: Facilitating Sensitive Conversations

Wednesday, 14 May
In-person Workshop
Facilitating EDI discussions can be challenging, especially within creative contexts. This practical workshop provides tools and techniques to confidently lead group conversations on sensitive topics, ensuring productive and respectful spaces that encourage bold, mindful dialogue.

Creating Successful Equality Action Plans

Tuesday, 1 July
In-person Workshop
An Equality Action Plan should be an active, evolving document that tracks progress and celebrates success. This workshop equips you with templates, tools, and strategies to turn your action plan into a dynamic resource that reflects your ongoing achievements as a changemaker.

NEW for 2025: Tackling Bias in your Organisation

Thursday, 18 September
In-person Workshop
In this session, we’ll provide a refresher for those who’ve already done unconscious bias training (or an accessible introduction to the topic for those who’ve not). We’ll then take a deep dive into what this means for you as a changemaker; where might you be hitting walls based on the unconscious bias that sits within yourself and the people around you?

NEW for 2025: Preventing Sexual Harassment in your Organisation

Wednesday, 8 October
In-person Workshop
Late in 2024, UK legislation was updated to place increased responsibilities onto employers to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. During this session we’ll lay out what your organisation should now be aware of and the action it should be undertaking.

NEW for 2025: Bringing People With You

Thursday, 6 November
In-person Workshop
In this session, we’ll explore strategies to empower you to bring people with you, increase your confidence in speaking up for the value of this work, investigate how you can use your workplace culture to your advantage, all the while adding to your Changemakers toolkit. Over the course of the day you’ll have time to focus on your own approach, as well as working collaboratively with others.

Managing Change

Monday, 1 December
In-person Workshop
In this session, we’ll examine principles underpinning processes of change and explore strategies for effectively managing it. There will be opportunities to apply tools and techniques from the world of Organisational Change and consider how change management methodologies developed in business can be applied to the arts and to your own workplace.

Online Project – Inclusive Recruitment

From September to December, we’ll be taking a deep dive into inclusive recruitment. Over the course of four half day sessions, we’ll spend time looking at how we can best lay the groundwork for inclusive recruitment, running an inclusive campaign, taking time to consider how you might appear to potential candidates and finally from inclusive inductions to employee retention. We’ll provide practical tools useful for any changemaker looking to embed inclusive practice within recruitment.

Online Sessions

Alternate months
Online Sessions
Online group collaboration sessions
Spaces to share ideas, work through challenges you’re experiencing and hear what’s working in other organisations. Bites sessions
a hit of inspiration, fresh thinking or provocation. We’ll bring a different topic to each session, then give you the chance to digest with others from the Changemakers community.