Originally published: May 2021

First of all, please explain your role and what you do (or at least what you were doing outside of the current shutdown!)

Hi, My name is Alli and I am the Crew Wellbeing Manager for Green Man festival and I also do some work with the Accessibility team at Glastonbury Festivals. Crew Wellbeing is precisely what it says on the tin, I look after the needs of the crew, mainly the volunteers but everyone is welcome in my office! I run a project called Camp Kitchen, where we run a wellbeing marquee with sofas, phone charging and (most importantly) a never ending supply of tea and biscuits!

My day job is with the British Red Cross and I have over 20 years experience working with young people with additional needs in education and the community.

How did you start working in the music industry?

I started in festivals as a customer back as a teenager in the 1990s, my older sisters were both regulars at festivals and we were all heading out at weekends to look for the elusive rave scene, so it was quite natural to me when my kids were very small to move into working with festivals. I moved to West Wales in 2002 and immediately found a community of festivals and events to get involved with. 2020 was in fact the first year since 1998 that I haven’t been to ANY event….

Do you think there are ways in which having lived experience of an impairment or health condition helps you in your role?

Yes I agree that having lived experience is invaluable, but having the time to listen to the needs of all our crew is also important. I can not assume that my experience is the same as all others with my own condition, so I need to hear the voice of each person who wants to talk. We all have a need for something, if that isn’t a platform or ramp it might be dismissed as not valuable, but collectively it can lead to a small change which makes an event easier for us all.

I have seen a change in 20 years in the way volunteers and crew are managed, which has made for a more ‘real world’ workplace with so much diversity, I could do a little happy dance!

What do you think the music industry could do to be more accessible to Deaf and disabled people who want to work in music?

I believe that real accessibility comes after real conversations. Talk to your customers, your volunteers, your crew and really take in what is said. Feeling listened to is the first step to change for any marginalised community.

What advice would you give to other people with impairments or health conditions who want to get into the music industry?

A genuine passion and honesty about what you can cope with is the baseline for me, anything over that is a bonus in my eyes so just apply, email, talk to the venue, write a blog, be part of the scene. You can be doing jobs online for venues, nights, festivals and community events all year round from your laptop while watching tv, so don’t assume that this is a Summer-months-only gig!