Suzanne Bull MBE (she/her)
Founder
I’m the Founder of Attitude is Everything and I co-lead the organisation with our Managing Director Celia Makin-Bell. Together we provide strategic direction and leadership in accordance with the organisation’s vision and mission.
I’m responsible for advocacy, representation, relationship building, profile-raising, and strategic fundraising, alongside maintaining Attitude is Everything’s position and influence within the cultural sector, and beyond.
I describe myself as a ‘professional gig-goer’ – watching bands from aged 13. I’m also a disabled person, and from 2020. I’ve lived with a cancer diagnosis. So I have both a personal and professional interest in improving access to music and live events.
Over my career, I’ve received some accolades – an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to music, arts and disabled people, an ‘Access All Areas Editor’s Award’ at the Event Production Awards, and Music Week’s Women in Music ‘Campaigner of the Year’ Award. I was recently conferred an Honorary Fellowship from Falmouth University. I was also listed in She Said So’s ‘Alternative Power 100 List’, enrolled in Music Week’s Women In Music Awards ‘Roll Of Honour’ and ‘Power 100’ – 100 most influential disabled people in the UK in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020.
Celia Makin-Bell (she/her)
Managing Director
I joined Attitude is Everything in July 2021 and co-lead the organisation alongside our Founder, Suzanne Bull. I have responsibility for strategic business development, finance, operations and leading the staff team, while ensuring that we meet our legal, financial & charitable obligations.
Prior to joining, I delivered senior management roles for a range of organisations including Arts Council England, Liverpool Philharmonic and SICK! Festival. I also worked for 15 years as a cultural consultant and trainer specialising in interim management, research and evaluation, fundraising, organisational development, business planning and project management for the not for profit and public sectors. I am a Trustee of Your Trust, Rochdale’s Borough-wide Cultural Trust.
My commitment to inclusion comes partly from my personal experiences as a carer and I have a particular interest in how carers can be better supported in the workplace. I am based in Cheshire, and outside work I enjoy taking full advantage of the amazing scenery, buzzing cities, culture and cuisine of the North West!
Jacob Adams (he/him)
Head of Research and Campaigns
I oversee our website, comms and influencing campaigns, and have led on initiatives such the DIY Access Guide, Access Starts Online, our State of Access Reports, the Audience Access Alliance, and our industry response to COVID-19. I’ve worked for Attitude is Everything since 2012, starting out as the Festivals Manager, supporting events to join what is now the Live Events Access Charter.
I have lived with mental health conditions for many years, and recently found out that I have ADHD at the age of 38. I’m deeply passionate about the value of discussing mental health and neurodiversity in all areas of life as a result.
In my 20s I founded a series of bands in the North East and London, and my now passion outside of work is miniature sculpting.
Paul Hawkins (he/him)
Head of Volunteering and Skills Development
I oversee our work making the music and live events Industry more accessible for those who work and volunteer in it. This includes our Beyond the Music initiative, mystery shopping and festival volunteering. I also design Attitude is Everything’s training and led on our Accessible Employment Guide, Accessible Workplace Training and Train the Trainer projects.
I am a PGCE-qualified trainer and prior to working at Attitude is Everything I worked in a range of areas including ESOL, mental health, youth employment and the charity sector. I joined Attitude is Everything in 2015, first working as the Festivals Project Manager, then Festivals and Volunteering Manager before beginning my current role in April 2020.
I have had lived experience of disability since I was child and am passionate about Attitude is Everything due to my own experiences of feeling unable to attend music festivals as a teenager due to my access requirements not being met. It gives me immense pride to know that someone with my access requirements can now camp at a wide range of UK festivals.
Outside of work, I am the Chair of Inclusion in London and also an author and musician. I first came into contact with Attitude is Everything when my band band the Awkward Silences played a Club Attitude night.
Alex May Covell (she/her)
Live Events Access Manager
I manage the Live Events Access Charter venues, festivals, and projects. I’m passionate about engaging with organisations and sharing the joy of inclusion.
I’ve previously worked at FESTIVAL.ORG as the Access Producer on outdoor arts and events, including Greenwich+Docklands International Festival and as lead Access Officer for the Without Walls Network. As Access Manager at Shakespeare’s Globe, I pioneered inclusive practice across all departments. Including streamlined processes for Stage Managers and integrated BSL performances, installed a permanent Quiet Space and developed the Easy Read resources.
Before joining FESTIVAL.ORG, I worked at Access All Areas, one of the UK’s leading learning disability theatre companies as Projects Coordinator. My 10+ years experience working within disability and community arts has ranged from running immersive schools workshops with M-SET to access work with Graeae, Diverse City and Greenwich Dance. An experienced applied theatre practitioner and facilitator, I has also worked with a variety of community groups ranging from toddlers to elderly people.
Joy Addo (she/her)
Digital Communications Assistant
I work on all things digital at Attitude is Everything, looking after our socials and assisting colleagues to amplify the voices of disabled audience members, artists and professionals. As a woman who loves live music and also has a visual impairment, improving people’s experiences is something that is close to my heart. Most of my previous job roles have included working with and advocating for those of us living with impairments. This has included working for sight loss charities and delivering disability awareness training for various organisations. I think it is important to have the freedom to express your thoughts and discuss your lived experiences, which is why I started my own podcast to openly discuss life as a mother with a visual impairment trying to navigate the world unapologetically.
Mauro Venegas (he/him)
Audience Development Manager
As Audience Development Manager at Attitude is Everything, I lead on forging partnerships across the UK to secure the involvement of new audiences with our work. I have overall responsibility for managing our Mystery Shopping programme, which last year produced 300 mystery shop reports by disabled volunteers, of venues and festivals across the UK. I also manage our Festival Volunteering programme, which places volunteers in roles working at the information tent at numerous summer festivals.
Our Audience Development work is also focused on increasing diversity and pan-impairment inclusion within our volunteering activities, and expanding our engagement with diverse disabled audiences.
Outside of my role at Attitude, I have been heavily involved in the grassroots music scene, within London and internationally, for decades. I have promoted gigs at several venues in London for the past 10 years, and have also toured abroad frequently and released several albums with a number of different bands!
Phoebe Roberts
Skills Development Manager (maternity leave)
I’m Attitude is Everything’s Skills Development Manager, leading the activity of our Beyond the Music initiative, including the creation of our Professionals Network and by brokering training, mentoring, shadowing and skills development opportunities.
We also work with industry organisations to become more inclusive employers. We do this via our Accessible Employment Guide, training courses and by offering bespoke advice on making your policies, processes and practice as accessible as possible.
I have 20 years of experience in the music and live events industries, working as a Live Events producer with clients including Sky Arts, Sony, Google & Doc Martens leading their music based experiential projects. I also work producing large scale electronic music festivals such as Eastern Electrics, Maiden Voyage & Boiler Room Festival.
I am neurodivergent and passionate about advocating for better working practice for those in the Music and Live Events Industry who are neurodivergent or have long-term mental health conditions.
Rhiannon Griffin (they/she)
Charter Coordinator
I support our industry development work including our Live Events Access Charter and Inclusive Communities work and am often the first point of contact for our venues and festivals.
I am queer, autistic and have experience living with a long-term mental illness. I have used art and music to cope from a young age and am very passionate about creating opportunities for others to do the same. I moved to London from Australia where I played in various orchestras and bands. My creative outlet these days mostly involves painting, mosaic and using mixed media to create more visual work. On the weekends you can find me in East London sitting in parks, going to gigs and eating too much vegan food.
Sarah Wilkinson (she/her)
Administrator
I joined Attitude is Everything in December 2022 as Administrator and my role is to support the Managing Director and the team and ensure the office runs smoothly. Previously I worked for British Telecom for over 30 years in various departments including Finance and Investor Relations.
My eldest daughter was diagnosed with autism at a very young age and I am passionate about her being able to experience music events and theatre shows that take into consideration her needs.
Jess Kovalets (she/her)
Fundraising Coordinator
I oversee and track all fundraising activities at Attitude is Everything. I coordinate and administrate our Corporate Giving and Individual Giving programmes, whilst also contributing to major funding applications and the production of reports to funders. I am compassionate about inclusivity and intersectionality, having worked in environments that centre this mindset.
Outside of working at Attitude is Everything, I run the occasional underground club night centring diversity within dance music. I illustrate and write when I can find the time; I love eating out and enjoy relaxing with a cozy video game and a cuppa.
Lamyaa Hanchaoui (she/her)
Volunteering and Network Coordinator
I coordinate all things Mystery Shopping at Attitude is Everything to amplify the voices and experiences of disabled audience members at live music events and build relationships with nationwide venues and festivals who are committed to improving accessibility. I also support our Next Stage Artists and Beyond the Music Professional networks to create opportunities for disabled talent to access and navigate the music industries.
Outside of Attitude is Everything, I’m an international award-winning and self-taught songwriter and composer, pianist and vocalist with a deep-rooted passion for sync, motion picture and film scores. I love creating cinematic soundscapes inspired from my North-African heritage and empowering lyricism, as well as cosmic oil painting on canvas and wood.
My lived experience of invisible disability, chronic pain conditions, mental health and lately diagnosed neurodivergence – intertwined with being a Moroccan Muslim woman – inspires me to rebuild confidence and advocate the removal of barriers for intersectional voices for aspiring creative professionals, audience and artists.
Bee Grzegorzek (they/she)
Inclusive Communities Manager
As Inclusive Communities Manager, I project manage the Levelling Up project which is our work in communities with low engagement with the arts, ensuring that we grow our work with diverse communities and disabled people who live in these areas.
I have experience of working in education in Access and Participation and completed an MA in Learning & Teaching in the Creative Industries. I’ve previously undertaken studies in counselling, and coaching & mentoring and love facilitating training and developing peoples’ skills and confidence.
As a session musician living with ADHD and multiple Chronic Illnesses, I have faced many barriers to performing and attending live music events. Music has always been a huge part of my life from touring and performing with orchestras playing violin, to playing live gigs on violin and backing vocals and fronting various bands as a lead vocalist. Performing and attending gigs can be challenging when navigating health conditions and disabilities and I am passionate about improving accessibility and disability inclusion in the music industry for disabled and deaf creatives and music lovers.
Johann Meux (he/him)
Skills Development Manager (Maternity Cover)
I work on the Beyond The Music and Future Leaders initiatives. The aim of the Future Leaders initiatives is to empower aspiring music and live events industry professionals who identify as deaf, disabled or neurodivergent to become leaders in their chosen fields, which is something that I’m certainly very passionate about!
I am particularly interested in the political and linguistic discourse surrounding issues of disability and accessibility. One of my main goals is to contribute towards Attitude’s mission of reducing the fear when discussing these themes – I think conversation where everyone feels they can safely express their thoughts and concerns is the best way forward!
I have been a musician for my whole life and, when I’m not working for Attitude is Everything, I essentially spend every waking hour doing the millions of tasks you have to do when you’re an independent artist. Never a dull moment! Music is by far my main passion in my life, and I hope to contribute to making it more accessible for everyone.
Henna Patel (they/them)
Communications Manager
As Communications Manager at Attitude is Everything, I work across teams and projects to ensure that we communicate our work and the voices of disabled people consistently and to a high standard, and help generate positive change when it comes to the inclusion of disabled people in the UK’s music and live events industries.
I’m a queer, gender fluid person, passionate about accessibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion in the world of charity comms. I’m also an avid reader, poet, and Spanish speaker with a love of vegan food. I’ve been a music fan and keen gig-goer most of my life – my favourite venue is my local Brixton Academy and I’m a sucker for volunteering at Glastonbury.
Hillary Juma (she/her)
Artist Development Manager
Ableism shouldn’t have to be a barrier to having a sustainable career within music. In August 2023 I joined Attitude is Everything to create better access for deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists within live music. As part of my role, I drive the development of streams of work including of the Next Stage artists community of 260+ disabled artists, 10 Artist Ambassadors, Talent Development Group of funders and lead artist development campaigning work including Just Ask.
My career background involves a combination of music, politics and technology as an artist, community manager and creative facilitator. Across four years, I have collaborated with organisations such as UAL, South London Gallery, Office for National Statistics, Mozilla and Wellcome Collection. My work has received recognition through the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award from Women in Voice 2022 and Technologists with Social Impact Book by PubinTech.
I really enjoy creating music that speaks to the time and helps to recover a sense of self and community. I have been fortunate to be supported by Arts Council England, and Youth Music Next Gen Fund to develop my own career and create Counternarratives Newsletter for neurodivergent folk like myself. Being able to combine my love of music and social impact through an intersectional feminist lens is a core value of mine.
Dominique Gibson (they/she)
Training Manager
As Training Manager for Attitude is Everything, I lead on the development, management and delivery of our online and face to face training courses to improve accessibility in the music and live events industry and related sectors.
My career history is as eclectic as my taste in music and has taken me from Wellness Management in hospitality to Wellbeing Advisor for the NHS, focusing on community outreach and Mental Health First Aid provision for the community and charity sector. Advocacy and inclusion havealways been a passion of mine, serving as Co-Chair of the LGBTQ+ Pride Committee for CNWL NHS Trust, with a focus on intersectionality.
Education and the intent to reduce stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health, disability and the LGBTQIA+ community has spanned the entirety of my career, led by my own lived experience of queer identity, neurodiversity and invisible disability.
Outside of work, I can be found attempting not to kill the many plants taking over my home and fixating on whichever new creative hobby has dominated my life.