Over the last six years, together we have built something incredibly special.
Through Next Stage and Beyond the Music, hundreds of disabled artists, professionals and industry leaders have connected, shared knowledge, developed skills, built careers and challenged the music industry to do better. What started as a series of projects has grown into thriving communities that continue to shape our work and influence the wider sector.
We are extremely proud of everything that has been achieved. From leadership development and mentoring, to networking, training, peer support and industry opportunities, these programmes have helped create space for disabled people to thrive within music and live events. Most importantly, they have helped build a community that continues to support and champion one another.
Alongside an incredible community of partner organisations, we’ve worked to improve accessibility across the sector by developing practical resources, sharing knowledge and championing better ways of working. Together, we’ve helped shape conversations, influence good practice and create opportunities that continue to benefit disabled people across the music industry.
As we look ahead, we recognise that the funding landscape is changing. We also know that the needs of disabled artists and professionals continue to evolve. Because of this, Attitude is Everything is taking the opportunity to reflect on, evaluate and learn from the work we have delivered over the past six years.
We are not stepping away from our networks, but we are entering a new chapter. While the shape of some of our work will change, our commitment to supporting disabled artists and professionals remains the same. Over the next year, we will focus on listening, learning and using everything we’ve achieved together to help shape the future of support for disabled artists and professionals.
We will be focusing on understanding what has worked, where the gaps remain and what disabled people need from us in the future. We will evaluate the learning from both Next Stage and Beyond the Music, alongside feedback from network members, partners and industry professionals, to help shape the next generation of support for disabled artists and professionals.
While this work takes place, our networks will continue. You will still receive regular newsletters, industry news, job opportunities, development opportunities, resources and signposting to relevant programmes and initiatives across the sector.
We will continue to work closely with organisations, employers, venues, festivals and industry partners to ensure our networks are connected to the best opportunities available.
Alongside this, we will begin developing new resources for our website and social media, creating simple and accessible guidance to help disabled people navigate the music and live events industry as artists, professionals and audiences.
Whilst we say goodbye to some of the projects that have defined the last chapter of our work, we are excited to begin the next one. This period of reflection, research and learning will help us build a stronger, more informed and more sustainable approach to supporting disabled people across the industry.
Thank you to our networks and our network partners for being part of this journey so far. Their experiences, insights, successes and challenges have shaped this work from the very beginning. We are proud of what we have achieved together and excited about what comes next.
