The work we do at Spike Island benefits greatly from the range of perspectives and skills that having a diverse team brings. We believe our staff should reflect the variety of identities and experiences in Bristol, and we are actively engaging in ways to make our recruitment processes more inclusive for all.

In 2022, we became a Disability Confident employer, which included working with WECIL (West of England Centre for Inclusive Learning) to review our recruitment policies and the accessibility of our building. We also developed an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion taskforce that meets regularly throughout the year to discuss and implement organisational changes that focus on underrepresented groups in the sector and reinforce our commitment to anti-racism.

As part of this, we have committed to publicly sharing our Workforce demographics data annually so that any changes in our workforce can be seen.

Last updated: October 2025

Next update: October 2026

2024/25 Workforce Demographics Summary 

• Our 2024/25 Board of Trustees remains majority White (82%), with representation from Mixed (9%) and Black/Black British (9%) members. Gender identity is strongly female (82%), with 18% identifying as male and no respondents identifying as non-binary. 9% identify as D/deaf, disabled, or having a long-term health condition, while 27% identify as neurodivergent. The Board skews older, with 36% aged 50–64 and 18% aged 65–74, but there is also younger representation with 18% aged 20–34. The majority identify as heterosexual/straight (82%), and socio-economic backgrounds are largely higher (82%), with some representation from lower (9%) and other categories (9%).
   

• Our 2024/25 Staff team demonstrates more ethnic diversity than in previous years, with 76% White (compared to 86% in 2022/23), 11% Mixed, 7% Black/Black British, and 2% Other ethnic groups. Women remain the majority (69%), alongside 13% men, 16% non-binary and 2% identifying as another gender (an increase from 2022/23, during which 93% of staff self-identified as cisgender). 22% of staff identify as D/deaf, disabled, or having a long-term health condition, and 33% as neurodivergent. Sexuality reporting shows increased diversity, with 51% heterosexual/straight, 16% bisexual, 22% queer, 2% lesbian, 2% other, and 7% preferring not to say. In terms of socio-economic background, 2024/25 shows a slight increase in equity: 68% come from higher backgrounds, 11% from lower, 9% intermediate, 5% other, and 7% prefer not to say.
   

• Our 2024/25 Freelance team remains majority White (88%) but shows more ethnic diversity than in the past, with 13% identifying as Mixed Ethnicity. Gender identity is spread across 50% men, 38% women, and 13% identifying as another gender identity. 13% identify as D/deaf, disabled, or with a long-term health condition, while 50% identify as neurodivergent. The majority of freelancers are aged 35–49 (75%), with smaller groups aged 20–34 (13%) and 50–64 (13%). Sexuality is more diverse than in previous years, with 63% heterosexual/straight, 25% queer, and 13% identifying as other. Socio-economic backgrounds are broader than among staff or trustees, with 63% from higher, 25% from intermediate, and 11% from lower backgrounds.