Equal Opportunities Policy

LAMDA is committed to promoting equal opportunities, to pursuing non-discriminatory policies and practice and eliminating unfair discrimination on grounds of age, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, class, nationality, creed, colour, ethnic origin, political belief or disability.

LAMDA undertakes and promotes equal opportunities in auditions and interviews, in the execution of its curriculum, in employment and in teaching, ensuring all staff and students have rights and responsibilities in relation to the promotion of equality.

LAMDA's aim is to provide excellent, flexible, accessible and relevant education that is suited to its location and external spaces. Applicants who identify themselves as having disabilities benefit from procedures designed to ensure that they are aware of the facilities and provision offered by LAMDA.

In fulfilling LAMDA's commitment to its policy, LAMDA will

• Communicate to all staff and students LAMDA's Equal Opportunities policy, informing them of their responsibilities in promoting and maintaining equality.
• Ensure all employees and students are made aware that they have a personal responsibility to create and maintain an environment in which the individual is respected and each employee is accountable for their own behaviour
• Work to ensure that equality of opportunity is considered in all activities, for example in employing staff, in recruiting and supporting students, in teaching and learning, in developing the curriculum.
• Ensure all teaching and marketing materials reflect the Academy's commitment to the equality of opportunity
• Respect the wide diversity of the student body and will endeavour to ensure that systems and practises do not conflict with any cultural and religious beliefs.
• Produce an annual Disability Statement describing its educational provision, facilities and support for people with disabilities (as required by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995)
• Not tolerate any acts of discrimination or harassment by staff or students, whether they are carried out intentionally or not, and will deal with such acts under its relevant disciplinary procedures.

LAMDA offers open access to all courses, irrespective of gender, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, class, nationality, creed, colour, ethnic origin, political belief or disability including special needs. A minimum age limit of 18 at commencement of the training is set for educational purposes.

Demonstrable and justifiable criteria are applied to the admissions and assessment procedures to ensure that they are judged against a standard and assessed according to merit and ability. No candidate shall be assessed on the grounds of gender, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, class, nationality, creed, colour, ethnic origin, political belief or disability including special needs.

Drama School application forms provide space for candidates to list any special needs that the candidate wishes to be brought to the Drama Schools attention prior to audition or interview.

LAMDA Drama School ensures that all text and scripts that are used as part of the teaching practise and public performance, are ethnically diverse, offering material across a range of countries, societies and classes.

LAMDA Policy Implementation

• LAMDA's mission statement confirms its commitment to its Equal Opportunities Policy.
• The Academic Board is responsible for the overall monitoring and review of the Equal Opportunities policy. It meets once a term
• A review of the implementation of the Equal Opportunites policy will form part of the annual reporting process.
• Specific responsibilities for review, implementation, and monitoring of the policy have been assigned to managers within LAMDA. Ultimate responsibility rests with the Principal
• Both formal and informal channels exist for staff and students to express concerns or complaints about the operation of this procedure. These include the college complaints procedure for staff and students, the student union and staff reviews.

LAMDA will not discriminate unfairly, either directly in indirectly, against any member of the Academy. This statement reflects and puts into practice this commitment.