Tuesday 25th February 2025

We’ve launched new resources to support the live events sector to become both accessible and environmentally sustainable for disabled people. 

• An updated version of ‘No climate action without us – how to make disabled people’s access to live music environmentally sustainable’, created in partnership with Julie’s Bicycle and A Greener Future 
• New resources for disabled creators to become more sustainable in their practice and touring, created by Sarah Pickthall, a freelance Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Specialist 
• Two international case studies from disabled artists who are working in Japan (SLOW LABEL) and in France (CAMP) who are leading on projects that bring access and climate sustainability together – also created by Sarah Pickthall 
• All documents will be in accessible formats – Easy Read, Large Print, BSL video and MP3 audio files. 

Attitude is Everything joins today’s GEI17 conference 

In addition, today’s GEI17 conference (from A Greener Future) will include a panel chaired by our founder Suzanne Bull MBE. It will explore what’s new in the updated version of the No Climate Action Without Us toolkit and how the live events sector implemented new solutions that tackled both climate change and accessibility.  

The panel will also discuss the findings from a public survey and roundtables hosted in 2024 and led by Sarah Pickthall and Hillary Juma, Attitude is Everything’s Artist Development Manager. This work looked at the barriers and subsequent solutions from disabled artists who are trying to implement sustainability across their practice. The panel will also introduce two international case studies, showcasing projects which bring access and climate sustainability together.  

The panel includes Farah Ahmed, Climate Justice Lead at Julie’s Bicycle, Dr Teresa Moore, Director at A Greener Future, Maia Barker, Attitude is Everything’s Artist Development Co-ordinator, and Sarah Pickthall. 

‘No Climate Action Without Us’ gets a refresh  

Version two of the ‘No Climate Action Without Us’ toolkit continues to reveal the key barriers that disabled people experience within initiatives that tackle sustainability. The toolkit outlines practical ways in which venues, events and festivals can implement accessible solutions in climate change, including photographic examples of facilities that are both ‘green’ and accessible.  

Green Man, Forwards Festival and Shambala volunteered to be case studies once again, with Forwards Festival identifying the following areas for improvement: 

• An appraisal of waste management measures  
• The height and ease of use of water points  
• Improving communication  
• Providing information about onsite food menus before the festival is increasingly important 

Green Man had an unexpected benefit. The festival introduced trial waste separation signage in 2024, where physical examples of the types of waste were secured to each bin to reduce the amount of cross contamination. Unexpectedly, this proved beneficial in two ways. Firstly, those with sight impairments or with learning disabilities were able to touch the materials helping them to understand the correct disposal of waste. Secondly, the provision of braille signage is expensive, so their solution provided an inexpensive solution.  

Disabled artists share guidance 

Separate from version two of the toolkit, we developed more resources that included artists and creators. Our creators identified that there is no climate justice without disability justice. They call on the music industry to:  

• Ask about access requirements and respond to access riders  
• Understand why it’s sometimes difficult for disabled music creators to be sustainable in their practice   
• Make the language of climate sustainability accessible so disabled music creators can feel connected and understand how and when to take action 

Our disabled music creators generously shared: 

• Where they have been part of, sustainable solutions that are also accessible   
• Where they are already taking climate sustainability action, sometimes unknowingly   
• Where they might like to shape their own sustainability solutions as part of their professional lives  

“I love the ideas of our offset culture and being more explicit about what we do in this respect. For example, we have a 3D printer in a nearby village that we aim to use to replace the music tech parts in a more responsible way. It’s the little things we do that we need to talk about more – as well as the access from soft landing, to adapting what we do, and being honest about this. We are also looking to add compostable toilet facilities. One step at a time!”

Lukas Hornby, CAMP