Access

We aim to make all our activities and events as accessible to as wide an audience as possible. We are guided by the following minimum access standards:

• We undertake Access Impact Assessments and Access Profiles for all our activities to identify bespoke provision for each event.
• We will promote all our activities and events with thorough, honest, and up-to-date descriptions, giving a clear picture of what the audience can expect and how the event will be run. This will include;
  • Exact location details
  • Start and end times
  • Duration
  • What to expect
  • Event capacity and who will be attending
  • Who will be hosting from the Cement Fields team
  • A clear access profile (venue info, sensory considerations, access provision, dietary information etc)
• All our activities and events will be free to attend.
• We prioritise venues which are physically accessible (including those with step-free and wheelchair access, disabled toilets). We will be explicit in any circumstance where we are unable to meet those standards.
• We will provide clear transport information, including guidance on travel options.
• We prioritise venues and locations which are accessible by public transport. Where this is not possible, we will provide transport provision for those for whom travel is an access barrier.
• Film/moving image works will include Closed Captioning.
• We will provide a content warning including sensory considerations (flashing/strobing lights), triggering subject matter.
• Walks will be clearly described. This will include details of walking distances, terrain, and expected weather considerations.
• Workshops and physical activities will be clearly described. This will include details of the type of activity (making, carrying etc), tools and materials (whether it's messy or noisy) and the environment (seated or standing, indoor or outdoor etc).
• We will use clear and accessible language in describing our activities.
• Printed materials will be available in large-print.

While it is not currently possible to offer these as a standard, as part of Access Impact Assessment we consider the following provisions:

• Live or recorded Audio Description
• BSL/Sign language
• Hearing loops
• The provision of a quiet space

We strive to communicate clearly about our work, making it accessible to all across a range of print and digital platforms and through different forms of storytelling. We are guided by the following minimum access standards:

• We will use clear, readable and commonly understood language when talking about our work.
• All video work on our platforms will feature captions.
• All audio work (i.e. podcasts) will have transcripts available.
• We will have large-print versions available for any printed documents.
• We will use alternative text for all imagery on our digital platforms.
• We will have audio versions of documents available on our website.
• We will use accessible document formats with a minimum font size of 12, and clear headings and layouts.
• We aim to adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AAA. WCAG.

We use arts practice to invite people to ask radical questions and explore new ideas. It is vital that the spaces we create are warm and welcoming to all, supporting us to experiment and hold complex and challenging dialogues in equitable ways. We are guided by the following minimum access standards:

Beyond the above Activity & Event Minimum Access Standards we are guided by the following standards for the participants we work directly with:

• All participants are supported to complete an access form. To enable us to understand the necessary access support needed to fully participate in the project.
• We provide simple refreshments at our activities.
• All participants are eligible to claim a travel bursary of a minimum of £10 per engagement.
• Due to the diverse nature of our projects, funding structures, and forms of engagement, we have a range of approaches to financially ruminating our participants. Whilst all our projects prioritise mutual exchange and benefit, for certain projects we provide an hourly wage to participants, based on the real Living Wage (currently £13.45 per hour).

Our work is driven by collaboration with artists and freelancers and yet we acknowledge that power is often unequal. We aim to address this precarious situation, committing to ensuring that all freelancers receive fair financial terms, time and space to develop ideas and where possible enable long term collaboration. We are guided by the following minimum access standards:

As a minimum we:

• Invite Artists and Freelancers to share an Access Rider with us. If they do not have an Access Rider, we encourage them to use our provided template.
• We are a Living Wage Employer and have clear and transparent pay structures which follow Artists Union England guidelines, as outlined in our Fair Pay Policy.
• We share full project budgets, including income (and its source) and expenditure, with artists/project leads for full transparency.
• We provide additional support for those with caring responsibilities (e.g. young children under the age of five, elderly relatives). This might include financial support to cover additional days of nursery/care, remuneration for the support of friends and family, additional travel and accommodations costs.
• Provide travel expenses.
• Provide accommodation and per diems, if necessary for the delivery of work over multiple days, or to accommodate early starts and/or late nights. Amounts will be in line with the average nightly rate in that area and agreed in advance.

We acknowledge that employment across the arts sector, even for those in full time employment, is precarious, poorly remunerated and faces increasing pressures from the complex series of crises we’re all facing (including climate, economic, political and social).

Beyond our statutory requirements as an employer we provide the following support to our staff:

• Since April 2026 Cement Fields has become an accredited 4 Day Week Employer. This means all our employees are paid a full time salary but are only required to work four days. We believe this provides a number of benefits to our staff and the organisation as a whole.
• As a nomadic organisation working across North Kent with no permanent address or exclusive office, we support our staff to work from home.
• We undertake an annual home working assessment to ensure all staff have a safe and comfortable working location.
• We have flexible working arrangements to acknowledge different working patterns and caring responsibilities. Our core hours are between 10.30-4.30.
• We provide a weekly allowance to all staff to support with internet and working from home costs. A further IT budget is available to be used towards the replacement of IT hardware equipment or repair/servicing and can be accessed every 4 years of service.
• We provide support in accessing the government's Access to Work Scheme.
• We invite all staff to share an Access Rider with us. If they do not have an Access Rider, we encourage them to use our provided template.
• We provide enhanced parental leave and benefits. We recognise the existing structural disadvantages facing mothers who take maternity leave and who return to work following a period of leave, and the limited nature of paternity leave and our ambition is to offer a progressive and benefits and support for staff.
• We support continued professional development and training. This includes an annual ‘Go See’ budget, a ‘Floating Library’ of shared books and publications, an annual ‘Reading Week’, and an annual training week supporting collective and individual learning.