Press release dated 28 th March 2007.

The Attitude is Everything project makes a difference as deaf and disabled people’s access to live music across the UK improves between April 2006 and March 2007.

Artsline’s Attitude is Everything project improves disabled people’s access to live music by implementing a Charter of Best Practice in music venues, clubs and festivals across the UK. We have a team of mystery shoppers who give us feedback on access and staff attitude and the results are as follows -

Statistics:

Between April 2006 and March 2007, 73 music venues, clubs and festivals were mystery shopped by our team of disabled gig-goers and musicians.

25% of the reports did not receive a rating by the mystery shopper.

Amongst those venues who received a fabulous rating were Ministry of Sound, Meadowbank ( Scotland), Birmingham Academy and Alexandra Palace. The Attitude is Everything team’s fabulous rating went to Carling Weekend: Reading this year as this was the first time that we ran our Information Tent in the Disabled Campsite. “It felt like we could not only provide a rapid-response to certain issues as they arose throughout the day, but that we were able to raise awareness of the issues generally to both disabled and non-disabled people at the festival”, Josephine Wilson, P.A. to Project Manager.

Highlighted issues:

The issue of the state of accessible toilets at festivals never goes away!

“All in all I had a fantastic time and can you send me again next year, but sort out the toilets as they were rank”, Josh Surgeoner, 11 years old, at Carling Weekend: Leeds.

Generally staff and stewards received positive feedback from our mystery shoppers. However, this does not include stewards at Roundhay Park for the Robbie Williams gig who got a “minus 100” rating from one of our mystery shoppers!

Another highlighted issue for this year was how many festivals publicise misleading information to deaf and disabled customers. This is worse than providing no access at all because disabled people need to make informed choices before booking tickets. Amongst the venues who got a poor rating were Sunrise Celebration Festival. Despite promising access including a disabled campsite and accessible toilets, the reality was that nothing was provided on-site.

“(The staff were) not really aware of how it felt to be pushed to the edges and not really considered, or included fully in the festival. Everyone was concerned and sympathetic, but it was nothing to do with them, and they didn’t know who’s responsibility it was. They hadn’t got a clue basically and it was obvious that the planning for those with disabilities was minimalistic and had been left to the last minute, and not a lot had happened as a result”, mystery shopper.

Promoting the access issues of disabled employees and artists:

Club Attitude

Our regular Club Attitude On the Decks continued at the Big Chill Bar in East London but our live band night needed some vital changes this year to build bigger audiences. We received funding from Camden Council so that bands including Bidgie Reef and disabled DJ Richard West appeared at its community street festivals over the summer. Meanwhile the Mystery Jets headlined Truck Festival in July. Club Attitude was re-launched in January at Cargo with Dead! Dead! Dead! and Tigerforce with disabled band Dirty Hands who have since played Metro and Brixton Windmill. Over 200 people attended the gig and Cargo were delighted at the huge midweek crowd.

Disabled stewards projects

We ran two successful disabled stewards projects at Carling Weekend: Reading and Liberty Festival.

“I was working as a supervisor with a team of stewards for Oxfam on the main stage viewing platform. The weekends tasks were made that much easier (and fun) with the presence of some of your guys from AIE”, Mark Eyden.

“One of the most positive things for me was that my supervisor was happy to let Mark (Atterbury) and me run the viewing platform in the Lock Up tent. He knew that we were more experienced and knowledgeable about disability access than him and it felt good to be trusted. Also the relationships with both other stewards and festival goers were excellent. It was good to be recognised from last year too. Several people came up to me and asked if I ‘was the guy from Attitude’. We must be having an impact somewhere”, Mark Lancaster.

In financial year 2006 / 2007, Arts Council England, London, Goldsmiths Charity, Mean Fiddler Music Group plc, Lloyds TSB Foundation and the Royal Bank of Scotland, Camden Council, and the Musicians Union funded Attitude is Everything. With Arts Council England, London funding for the next financial year 2007 / 2008, we are able to continue to offer our core services of mystery shopping, marketing to disabled audiences, promoting disabled musicians and DJ’s, Disability Equality Training and Access Auditing, specifically tailored for the music industry.

During this financial year, we have had 3 new appointments to the Attitude is Everything team – Graham Griffiths (Business Manager), Alice Friedl-Harris (Regional Development Manager) and Gideon Feldman (Summer Festival Co-ordinator).

Our website can be viewed on www.attitudeiseverything.org.uk

We have a MySpace site on www.myspace.com/attitudemyspace

For more information about this press release or our forthcoming projects, please call Suzanne Bull on 020 7388 2227 / attitude@artsline.org.uk

MYSTERY DISABLED SHOPPER MONITORING FORM

Date: 24 th March 07

Name: Wednesday 13 Alternative All-Nighter

Venue: Rock City, Nottingham

Thanks for agreeing to be a mystery disabled shopper for … ………………. Mystery disabled shoppers are responsible for monitoring the Charter of Best Practice. As soon as you feel that you are going to have problems attending the event, please let me know so I can find someone else.

It is your task to determine whether the venue / festival / club is committed to improving disabled people's access to live music.

1. Was there any access information for disabled people included on promotional (including the website) material, or with your tickets?

no

2. Describe how you booked your ticket:

Direct through the Rock City website

3. Describe how you got to the venue:

(did you use taxi, public transport etc; was it easy to find the venue etc)

Went on the train from Boston to Nottingham, then walked to the venue.

4. Describe the access at the venue:

(e.g. accessible toilet, accessible entrance, accessible signage, viewing platform, facilities for hard of hearing or deaf people)

The venue has steps at the front entrance, & steps throughout the venue to get to the various stages, and could see no evidence of a disabled toilet.

5. How did the staff treat you at this event?

The staff all seemed to be polite and helpful

6. Would Disability Equality Training be beneficial to this venue?

This sort of training is always beneficial but from what I saw, not many disabled people use the venue because of the steps. But, as above, the staff seemed to act the same to everyone.

7. Was it easy to gain access to the viewing platform / reserved area? (if there was one!)

Yes it was east to get onto the viewing area if your legs work ok, but it is a general area where anyone can go to.

8. Did you enjoy the gig?

Yes, the gig rocked

9. If you took away the music, would you still have enjoyed the experience of going to the venue?

Enjoyed going to the venue as it is different to any that I have been to before

10. How would you rate the access at this venue:

POOR AVERAGE FABULOUS

Poor for the disabled

11. Are there any further comments that you would like to make?

12. What would you like “Attitude is Everything” to take up with the music industry during the next phase of the campaign? (April 2006 – April 2007).

13. Can we publish anything you have written on this form on our website and in our “Attitude” fanzine?

yes

Thanks for taking the time and trouble to fill in this form. Don't forget to send us proof of receipts for yourself and a mate to attend the gig (Ticket) and travel / photographic expenses (eg. train, cab or ticket receipts and any other receipts) so you can get refunded.

Any questions, do not hesitate to call.

Have fun! J

Suzanne Bull

Attitude is Everything Project Manager

Tel: 020 7388 2227 (except Thursdays)

Email: attitude@artsline.org.uk

Web: www.attitudeiseverything.org.uk

www.myspace.com/attitudemyspace

Two companies that Attitude is Everything works closely with have received awards in the last two months. SFM Security Consultants work with us on Liberty Festival and regularly employ disabled and deaf stewards.

The SFM team take pleasure in announcing the great news of being awarded the title of

Security Company of the Year 2006  

For outstanding contributions to the industry awarded by the NOEA organisation.  This is a Nationwide award by a highly regconised organisation and we are very pleased to be nominated for 2 consecutive years (2005 & 2006) and this year win.

We would like to thank those who nominated us and also everyone we have worked with during this year.

Look forward to working with all of you in 2007.

Mery & Steve

Meryl Dennis...Company Director.
S.F.M. Security Consultants Ltd. 
     m...07986 371 850.   t...020 7287 8123.   f...01622 600 026

Maria O’Shodi, also Dj’s for us under the name of Blind Bling, has her own theatre company called Extant. She announces:

Orange PCS and EXTANT win the Arts & Business and Diversity Award category at the 29th Arts & Business Awards.

The award is in recognition of a business/arts partnership or project that has successfully used the arts to  progress a diversity initiative.

"We are proud to be the first disabled led organization to win this award, and by Extant achieving this, we believe we do not have to be the last!"  Maria Oshodi Extant Artistic Director.
The winning project was The Cast Party, that took place in august 2006, and was an Extant site-specific experimental arts event, supported by Orange and
held at the Great Eastern Hotel.
Extant is the first performing arts company in the UK managed by visually impaired arts professionals that aims to promote the arts and culture of the visually
impaired community.

www.extant.org.uk