The Featured Artists Coalition and disability-led music charity Attitude Is Everything have announced a new strategic partnership.
The two organisations will work together to try to ensure that the rights and interests of deaf and disabled music-makers are represented within the music industry. As part of the partnership, disabled musicians Ali Hersz and Rob Maddison have come on board as ambassadors of FAC.
"The culture of music and the world of the music industry will only be enriched by including artists from all sorts of backgrounds and with differing experiences of living", says AIE Artist Development Manager Rich Legate. "Artists and musicians who are disabled people are currently not able to move through this industry without facing numerous barriers that either restrict their success, or convince them to give up".
"Working collaboratively with the FAC", he goes on, "we will be able to amplify the voices of disabled artists, supporting their creativity and making sure they have a seat at the table to shape the future of this industry alongside their peers".
FAC General Manager David Martin adds: "As the UK artist trade body, it is crucial that the FAC works for the whole artist community. Our mission is to represent the rights and interests of all artists and this partnership helps us to provide a voice for deaf and disabled artists in an industry which has too often left them out of the conversation".