Brick Walls and Tick Boxes

Archives Unlocked, the U.K. National Archives’ strategic vision for archive sector, identifies need diversity to be embedded in all parts of archives sector. As workers, we ensure that “the rich society is reflected our archives’ collections, users and workers” (The Archives, 2017, p.13). Despite aims investment specific schemes (delivered by The Creative Skillset, Heritage Lottery Fund) which seek diversify there are still structural barriers prevent workforce from diversifying realising these ambitions.
 In authors this paper began collaborating on a grassroots project explore experiences workers marginalised backgrounds. collected anonymous survey data 97 people explored work qualification. two who have experience accessing sector via bursaries scholarship, wanted research articulate common set frustrations often shared but rarely documented or consulted when developing inclusion strategies schemes. By utilising lived as main paper, re-centre discussions about around those currently margins workforce.