Strategy & Values

Findhorn Bay Arts (FBA) have grown from being synonymous with our biennial festival, into one that “connects and celebrates Moray’s communities, places and people through exceptional and diverse creative experiences that challenge, inspire and delight”. 

As such we provide year round opportunities that seek to bring cultural, economic and social benefit to the region, as well as those living and working in it.

All work is delivered against our five key objectives: 

1. To curate and deliver a biennial festival that inspires and nurtures opportunities for local, national and international artists, that connects people and places and brings value to Moray, its communities and residents
2. Provide equitable experiences for audiences and participants through long-term creative projects and activities forged through collaborations and strengthened networks. 
3. Curate and deliver a range of local, national and international exchanges, commissions and residencies that connects with, enhances and and supports Moray-based creative practitioners.
4. Ensure there are the financial and people resources to deliver and manage all organisational objectives and risks.
5. Build brand awareness, audience engagement and cross-sectoral recognition for our work.

Current activity falls into four distinct categories:

• Festival and Events: we host and stage a wide range of events in venues big, small, inside and out – as well as everywhere in between.
• Residencies and Commissions: we are committed to working with, and support, artists locally, national and internationally through a programme of residencies and new commissions.
• Creative Learning and Participation: we work with people of all ages and abilities to help them explore their creativity and develop new skills.
• Hub: to support our activities and programmes, we operate a hub in the heart of the Forres Community out of which we engage local people, deliver creative projects, operate our box office and more.

Values

The following values exist as a guide to the way we work.  They are provided to show:

• What we care about
• How we work with others
• How we make decisions
• What principals we operate by. 

Each value should not be seen in isolation from another;  each informs the other. All are integral and core to us.

We will work:

With OPENNESS & EXPLORATION

• We will be open and honest with those we work with and for.
• We encourage new ways of thinking and seeing the world.
• We support, test and inspire new ways of working.
• We consistently strive for Creative Excellence.
• We are a learning and developing organisation.
• We provide learning opportunities for our participants and audiences.
• We also develop and grow through learning and development which is embedded in our practice.

In PARTNERSHIP & COLLABORATION

Collaboration and partnership are at the very core of everything we do.

• We work in collaboration and partnership with individuals, creatives, organisations and communities.
• We listen and are open to new ways of thinking. We use this to inform our practice and develop our work.  We do so whilst upholding our values of RESPECT, OPENNESS AND CONNECTION.
• We work through socially engaged* and participatory practice as well as via methods of co-production.

With CONNECTION & HOPE

• We are rooted in Moray and provide opportunities and programming for those living and working in Moray.
• We present work that delights and inspires and creates meaningful connections between people and place.
• Our work emerges from, connects with and engages with our region’s diverse landscapes, towns, villages and communities.
• We work to ensure social, economic and cultural benefits are felt by Moray’s residents.
• The high quality of work (programmed and produced) attracts and is attractive to those from beyond Moray. It makes people want to visit, explore, stay and connect.
• Across all we do we strive to build wellbeing, skills, knowledge and understanding, and raise aspirations and achievements amongst those with whom we connect.
• We respect, acknowledge and believe that the arts are an integral part of everyday life and that every person should have access to creativity.
• We work with others, in order to advocate for, and promote the multiple and positive impacts arts and creativity, (particularly in a rural context), brings to people, places and society as a whole.

To CONSERVE & FOSTER

• We recognise that:
  • People, place and planet are three parts of a dynamic rather than static ecosystem.
  • Culture is a living thing, it stays this way through being constantly recreated.
• We seek to work through sustainable practices that address and combat Climate Change and the Climate Emergency.
• We seek to achieve great things with minimal impact to the environment.
• We work to conserve our natural, built and social heritage.
• We work to foster an appreciation of our natural work, our place in rural Scotland.
• We work to foster an appreciation of the language and culture held within Moray. 
• We acknowledge the challenges faced by the communities and residents of Moray due to dramatic demographic shifts. 
• As a result, we wish to play an essential role in ensuring Moray’s communities are thriving and are sustainable places in which to live and work.
• This is further enhanced by our value of RESPECT and Objective 4.

With EQUITY & RESPECT

• We work to directly address and tackle the wide-reaching inequalities experienced by all those we work with and for.  This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Levels of income and class
  • Race and background
  • Ethnicity or nationality
  • Gender and gender identification
  • Religious affiliation
  • Age
  • Hidden and visibility disabilities
  • Sexuality
  • Care experience
  • English language ability
  • Care experience
  • English language ability
• We believe in ethical practices, fair work and fair pay for all those we work with – whether contracted, freelance or subcontracted.
• We commit to:
  • Treat each other with respect, kindness and transparency.
  • Think about how our actions, language and behaviour might impact others.
  • Using language that is respectful.
  • Not make assumptions about a person’s identity, background or experiences.
  • To use a person’s preferred pronouns.
• Acknowledge visible and hidden barriers experienced by those we work with and for.  We will always seek to respond to individual access needs and/or access riders.
• Our policies and practice are evolving and developed as a result of listening, questioning and benchmarking against best practice. We consistently strive to do better and be our best.

Policies & Documents