First music roster for disabled artists aims to stop ‘infantilisation’
A new music roster for disabled artists has been launched to help ensure musicians are recognised as professionals and tackle “infantilisation” in the industry.
UnMute has already seen its artists booked for shows at festivals such as Shambala in Northamptonshire and Brighton’s The Great Escape, as well as St George’s Day at Trafalgar Square. The roster has been organised by Global Local, a project aiming to create performance opportunities for a diverse range of artists. Chris Tofu, who runs Global Local and is also one of the directors of Glastonbury’s Shangri-La area, told the Press Association: “Basically, we really want to change a couple of things that annoyed us, and one of them is that it’s so hard and rare that you see disabled artists on stage when there’s a vast community of them. “We put on the incredible Drag Syndrome (at Glastonbury), which is just a phenomenal act made from people with Down Syndrome who just absolutely destroyed Glastonbury at 1am in the morning on a Sunday, and we worked with from the beginning, another whole crew called Deaf Rave. “Deaf Rave are deaf DJs, and they make their own music as well, through vibrations on the floor, mainly, and just over the years, we’ve worked with all these people, and we’ve had incredible gigs, but it’s really hard for them to get gigs, and sometimes for bookers to understand that. “So we made this roster and did a big reach out, which with a lot of different organisations, and we’re about to press go on UnMute roster, and it’s the first one, which is pretty incredible, really, that it hasn’t happened before.” UnMute will share its roster of artists with Global Local’s network of festivals and venues in a bid to open up opportunities for shows, and it will aim to support each artist’s needs using the Musicians’ Union Access Rider – a guide for agreeing practical adjustments for performances. Andrew Lansley, the creative director of UnMute, who is also an autistic artist, said some of the issues he and others in the disabled artist community have faced included seeing requests for no strobe lighting being ignored and wheelchair ramps that are too small. He said: “The one thing I look out for is if someone says it’s fully accessible, that is an absolute indicator that it is not… “We’re not expecting it to be an easy ride, but let’s approach it from a position of collectivism and resolving issues rather than standing throwing rocks at each other, that’s not going to help anything. “This is about helping the community find its feet within the professional and live music sector, but equally helping the live music sector understand how to engage with an amazing group of artists that have currently been untapped… “I think one of the things UnMute can do, and one of the things that very progressive communities like this can achieve is benefits for wider society if we are trusted with leading. “One of the problems experienced by the disabled community, is infantilisation… we’re seen as a draw or a cost.” Emzae, whose real name is Emma Shaw, is one of the artists who has joined the roster, and will be performing her first gig in London in April. She has ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), which causes strong fatigue and sleep issues, as well as cognitive dysfunction. She said UnMute provided “a huge weight off my shoulders” as the condition, along with her OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), made it difficult for her to handle the administrative side of being an artist such as building a team and organising gigs. Speaking about why she joined UnMute, Emzae said: “I’ve never wanted to be famous, my definitions of success is just making a comfortable living from doing what I love, and being able to maintain my wellbeing and happiness, that’s all I’m striving for, that’s like the ultimate goal. “I think that UnMute… what I’m looking for out of it is just to take a bit of weight off my shoulders, I know that everyone’s in it for the right reasons. “I know that they’re out there actively getting opportunities for all of us, (and it means) me not having to send out so many emails and having to use another bit of my brain that could be utilised on me being well.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub