STRATEGIC PLAN 2025 - 2030
OVERVIEW
This Strategic Plan has been developed through a collaborative process, drawing on consultation with members, community participants of all ages, and partner organisations, ensuring it reflects a wide range of voices and experiences.
We want to use the power of creativity to work together with people to help them develop their skills, nurture their talents, share their passions, discover new things and find their safe, supported and inspirational space at WHALE Arts. Working together we want to support creative placemaking in Wester Hailes.
Our plan outlines how we want to move forward as an organisation to inspire creativity and community cultural ownership, develop learning and support wellbeing in our programme, include everyone in the conversation, reduce our impact on the planet and be a good and fair employer.
ABOUT US
WHALE Arts is a community-led art charity and social enterprise set up by local people in Wester Hailes, Edinburgh in 1992.
Community-led
We are run by and with local people. Our members, Board, and community help us make decisions and design what we do together.
A Cultural Anchor Organisation
We connect local people with artists, cultural activities, and other organisations.
Place-based
Our programmes are shaped by the needs of people living in Wester Hailes and address the social, geographical, infrastructural, and economic factors affecting the area.
Building-based
WHALE Arts Centre is a unique community asset which gives us space for activities for our programme and that of our partners, -it also helps us earn money to support our work.
Asset-based
We focus on strengths and skills, not on problems.
Our Vision
Our Mission
Our Values
Our Approach across all our work
To be the creative heart of a connected community, nurturing imagination, inclusion, and wellbeing.
We bring people together through creativity, offering opportunities for learning, inspiration, and meaningful connections in a welcoming and inclusive space.
We are:
• Creative
• Community centred
• Inclusive and supportive
• Collaborative
• to be financially, environmentally and organisationaly sustainable.
• to be accessible, equitable, safe and supportive.
OUR VALUES
Creative
We believe in the joy, connection, inspiration, and transformative magic of creativity. We value its ability to spark change, nurture wellbeing, and empower individuals and communities. We embed creativity in all we do - developing imaginative programmes and approaches that inspire our community and beyond.
Inclusive & Supportive
We are committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive space where everyone feels valued and respected. Our programmes, opportunities, and employment practices are dignified, thoughtful, and responsive - supporting people to thrive and belong.
Our community is at the heart of everything we do. We listen, respond, and co-create, ensuring that the voices, needs, and aspirations of our community guide our direction and decisions.
Community-Centred Collaborative
We believe we are stronger together. Through partnership, shared strengths, and meaningful collaboration, we amplify our impact and bring the very best to our community.
WHERE WE FIT IN THE BIG PICTURE
We have particularly focused on how our work aligns with these local, national and international strategies:
Wester Hailes
Local Place Plan:
Community-led initiative to shape the future development of Wester Hailes, aiming to create a better place to live, work, and visit.
City of Edinburgh Council
Culture Strategy:
“All Edinburgh residents can easily access cultural experiences that they find meaningful in their local area, and everyone has the opportunity to contribute to shaping local cultural provision. Edinburgh is a welcoming and supportive city in which a broad spectrum of creative and cultural practitioners choose to develop their careers.”
City of Edinburgh Council’s
Strategic Priorities:
- Create good places to live and work in Edinburgh
- Take all the local actions needed to end poverty in Edinburgh
- Work to deliver a net zero city by 2030
Creative Scotland’s
Strategic Priorities:
- Quality and Ambition - Engagement
- Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion - Environmental Sustainability
- Fair Work
The Scottish Government’s National Performance Framework:
- We are creative and our vibrant and diverse cultures are expressed and enjoyed widely.
- We respect, protect and fulfill human rights and live free from discrimination.
- We tackle poverty by sharing opportunities and wealth more equally.
- We grow up loved, safe and respected so that we realise our full potential
- We live in communities that are inclusive, empowered, resilient and safe.
The U.N. Sustainable Development Goals:
- Reduced Inequalities
- Good Health and Wellbeing
- Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Good Health and Wellbeing
- Sustainable Cities and Communities
The U.N. Rights of the Child:
“The rights of children should be protected and promoted in all areas of their life, including their rights to education, freedom from violence, abuse and neglect, be listened to and taken seriously, a proper house, food and clothing, and to relax and play.”
WHAT DIFFERENCE DO WE WANT TO MAKE?
Participants, members, artists and staff gain all or some:
• Increased knowledge, creative, practical and transferable skills.
• Increased self-confidence, self-esteem, wellbeing and personal development.
• Feel connected to their/our community.
• Engage in environmentally sustainable practices.
• Feel included and supported at WHALE Arts.
Our organisation will:
• Provide high quality, innovative, inspiring creative & wellbeing activities at WHALE Arts.
• Deliver creative, co-designed, sustainable activities, projects & strategies in places and spaces across Wester Hailes.
• Work with local people reflecting the diversity that exists within our community.
• Improve access to opportunities - creative, community, social, environmental & developmental.
• Offer opportunities for our people to feel supported and thrive.
We have 5 themes we are working to for the 5 years of our plan. We have looked at what we want to achieve (our Aims), how we’re going to do this (our Objectives), the difference it will make (our Outcomes) and made an Action Plan for each of the 5 areas.
We will review our plan at the end of each year to check on our progress and identify if we want to change anything in response to what we have learned or changing circumstances.
Creative Programme
Aim 1:
We engage participants in inspiring creative projects led by skilled practitioners and partners, fostering expression, skill-building, and community empowerment.
Objectives: (How we’re going to do this)
• Offer a creative, co-designed programme that responds to community needs and interests.
• Provide learning opportunities that develop skills, creativity, and high-quality artistic work.
• Support participants’ wellbeing by fostering positive social interactions, building confidence and self-esteem.
Outcomes: (What difference this will make)
• Community members and participants experience increased engagement and wellbeing through a responsive creative programme that meets their their needs.
• Participants demonstrate improvement in their creative skills and produce meaningful artwork.
• Participants report improved self-esteem, confidence, and social connections.
Action Plan Aim 1 - Creative Programme
Task Time
What success looks like
Objective: Offer a creative, co-designed programme that responds to community needs and interests.
Co-design sessions with current participants and community members who are part of our programming group.
Regular inputs and annual review
Participants report that the programme meets their needs and interests.
(Target: 80%)
Increase in community participation.
(Target with a 5% rise in new participants each year)
Objective: Provide learning opportunities that develop skills, creativity, and meaningful artistic work.
Ongoing programme development and review to ensure creativity and skills development are embedded and meaningful art works are produced.
Annually review
Participants demonstrate increased skills, enhanced creativity and produce meaningful high-quality artistic work.
(Target 75%)
Objective: Support participants’ wellbeing by fostering positive social interactions, building confidence and self-esteem.
Regular review of WHALE Arts programme to ensure wellbeing outcomes are embedded and supported across programming.
Annually
Participants report improved self-esteem, confidence, and social connections.
(Target 75%)
Community
Aim 2:
Respond to and work with our community to deliver creative activity across Wester Hailes.
Objectives: (How we’re going to do this)
• Develop the W.H. Local Place Plan Cultural Strategy for Wester Hailes, in partnership with our community by 2028.
• Provide opportunities for members to actively shape governance, programming, co-design and decision-making.
Outcomes: (What difference this will make)
• Participants feel safe, welcome and included.
• A diverse range of creative activities are delivered across Wester Hailes, increasing access to arts, culture, and self-expression for local people.
• Local people report they feel listened to and part of our community-led decision-making processes.
Action Plan Aim 2 - Community
Task Time What success looks like
Objective: Deliver the W.H. Local Place Plan Cultural Strategy for Wester Hailes, in partnership with our community by 2028.
Facilitate workshops & actvities to identify cultural priorities.
Establish research group to explore and develop cultural strategy.
2025 - 2027
Clear and concise community co-designed cultural strategy developed and presented in accessible formats.
Objective: Increase opportunities for members to actively shape governance, programming, and co-design, ensuring their voices are genuinely heard in decision-making.
Establish sub-groups of members, staff, participants to lead on accessibility, environmental sustainability and programming.
Board training and development to enhance our governance with finance and fair work groups established.
Plan annual and one off events, exhibitions, collaborations and partnerships across WH.
2025 and then annual review Annually
Sub-groups successfully established and leading on Action plans/Board governance and oversight.
Creative activities that connect our community take place regularly.
(Target: at least twice a year)
Sustainability
Aim 3:
We will address our impact on the planet and, with our community, develop strategies for sustainability and future resilience.
Objectives: (How we’re going to do this)
• Identify and embed environmentally conscious practices across our organisation through sustainable operations, training, and education.
• Develop and deliver an engagement programme that empowers our community to adopt environmentally sustainable actions.
Outcomes: (What difference this will make)
• Our organisation operates more sustainably by reducing waste, lowering energy consumption, and minimising emissions, contributing to a greener and more resilient community.
• Staff, volunteers, and participants feel more confident and knowledgeable about being environmentally friendly.
• People in our community report that they have the knowledge and support to make greener, more sustainable choices.
Action Plan Aim 3 - Sustainability
Task Time
What success looks like
Objective: Identify and embed environmentally conscious practices across our organisation through sustainable operations, training, and education.
Establish baseline data on our current carbon footprint, energy and water usage, and building efficiency.
2025 - 2026
We will work with experts to understand and reduce our climate impact.
We will work with our partners on shared sustainability training and actions.
2025 - 2030
Annually
Environmentally conscious operations, resource efficiency, and waste reduction are embedded across our work and contribute to a greener and more responsible organisation.
Staff, volunteers, and the community are equipped with the knowledge and training to adopt sustainable practices.
(Targets: Together with our partners and tenants we will reduce our carbon impact by 10%. We will hold at least one joint action/activity or training per year).
Objective: Develop and deliver an engagement programme that empowers our community to adopt environmentally sustainable actions.
Work with partners and experts to deliver accessible eco friendly activities, events and training to the community.
2025 - 2030
Our community have the knowledge and training to support sustainable actions.
(Target: 50% of our participants taking part in eco-friendly activities, events and training in the next 5 years.)
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Aim 4:
To listen, learn and work to make sure everyone feels included
Objectives: (How we’re going to do this)
• Build partnerships and work to increase diversity within our staff, Board, members, and participants, ensuring it reflects the demographics of our community.
• Provide training for our team to support diversity and use feedback from our participants, members, staff and volunteers to improve the accessibility of our processes, spaces, and programme.
Our focus for 2025-30 is:
◦ Disability, including those with additional support needs and/or neurodiversity.
◦ Deprived Socio-Economic Background - addressing barriers to access including experiences of trauma, Adverse Childhood Experiences and financial deprivation.
◦ Cultural Diversity, ethnicity, and cultural heritage.
We have a framework with targets for each of these areas.
Outcomes: (What difference this will make)
• Participants feel safe, welcome and included.
• A more diverse and inclusive organisation, enriched by a wider range of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives in its decision-making, programming, and governance.
Action Plan Aim 4 - Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Task Time What success looks like
Objective: Build partnerships and work to increase diversity within our staff, Board, members, and participants, ensuring it reflects the demographics of our community.
Work with partners and our community to identify organisational changes that could improve our processes.
Review our Policies and procedures to ensure they respond to legislation and the needs of our organisation to increase diversity.
Ongoing, annual review Annually
Our organisation reflects the demographic make up of our community.
We have met the targets in each of our frameworks, that together mean we are delivering our EDI Actions.
Objective: Provide training for our team to support diversity and use feedback from our participants, members, staff and volunteers to improve the accessibility of our processes, spaces, and programme.
Work with partners and people with lived experience to train the staff team.
Our Access Group leads on feedback and oversees our progress.
Accessibility Audit.
Annually Quarterly
2025/26, then annual review
Organisational processes, spaces, and programmes are more inclusive and accessible to a diverse range of people.
A more skilled & inclusive team - staff & volunteers are equipped with the knowledge and confidence to support diversity and inclusion effectively.
Feedback from participants, members, staff, and volunteers leads to meaningful improvements and greater representation in decision-making.
(Target: 20% Access improvement rating by people using our spaces and services)
Fair Work Aim 5:
To be a fair, equitable and supportive employer.
Objectives: (How will we achieve this goal)
• Improve systems for professional development for staff and freelancers to access high-quality, relevant training, progression and employment opportunities.
• Respect our people by annually reviewing our Fair Work Policy, pay structures to an industry standard and ensure they feel listened to and able to contribute.
Outcomes: (What difference this will make)
• Our people gain knowledge.
• People will feel supported and have opportunities for personal and professional development.
• People will be fairly paid, in line with the sector, ensuring financial sustainability and job satisfaction.
• Our people develop their skills, contributing meaningfully to a thriving and skilled arts community.
• WHALE Arts is recognised as a professional, ethical, and supportive organisation that values and respects its people.
Action Plan Aim 5 - Fair Work
Task Time
What success looks like
Objective: Improve systems for professional development for staff and freelancers to access high-quality, relevant training, progression and employment opportunities.
Develop, consult on and implement relevant Training and Development opportunities.
Annually
Staff and freelancers gain and share skills and knowledge.
(Target: 50% of staff report improved knowledge and skills)
Systems are in place to help staff and freelancers to easily access information on opportunities.
Objective: Respect our people by annually reviewing our Fair Work Policy, pay structures to an industry standard and ensure they feel listened to and able to contribute.
Review recruitment & induction processes and Staff Handbook.
Benchmark our pay scales to industry standards.
Staff and freelancers have opportunities to give feedback to the organisation and Board.
Deliver regular support & supervision sessions, staff meetings and reviews.
2026 and then annual review
Autumn 2025 and then annual review
At least 4 times per year
We have processes in place to ensure we are a well run organisation that supports our staff and freelancers.
Staff are paid a fair rate.
Staff and Freelancers feel they have a voice and are able to contribute to the effective running of the organisation.
Staff and freelancers enjoy and feel supported in their work and use their skills to support the best delivery of our programme and strategy.
whalearts.co.uk
Photo/artist credits:
Hailey Beavis
Ollie Benton
Piotr Kolasinski
Mario Cruzado
Lisa Fleming