“Manchester International Festival is grounded in our city and engages with the world. We aim to reflect the great diversity of Manchester, and our planet, in all aspects of our work – artists, audiences, staff, participants, board members, and partner companies. We invite and welcome input on how we can do this effectively from the many individuals and communities with whom we aim to work in ever more exciting ways.” - John McGrath Artistic Director and Chief Executive, Manchester International Festival

During MIF19 we had 51 permanent staff – of which 23% identified as BAME/non-white, 10% declared themselves as having a disability and 18% identified as LGBTQ+.

Since MIF19 we have already recruited 13 new roles as we move towards The Factory – of which 46% identified as BAME/non-white, 8% declared themselves as having a disability, 18% identified as LGBTQ+.

We are continually reviewing recruitment processes and our internal support for all employees as part of our ongoing commitment to diversifying the workforce in the creative industries.

“My highlight has been joining the MIF Pride Group, and later becoming co-chair. The group works to improve LGBTQ+ equality and representation at MIF, and we’ve achieved a lot since forming in March/April 2019. We’ve signed MIF up to the Stonewall Diversity Champions programme, walked in the Manchester Pride Parade, and completed the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index which assesses how well MIF supports its LGBTQ+ employees and the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. This has been really important to me on a personal level, and as newly appointed co-chair of the group it’s a great professional opportunity as well.” – Martha Tomlinson, Development Administrator, and co-chair of the Pride Working Group