Disabled artists from across the UK are planning a day of action on social media to celebrate the depth and diversity of inclusive & disability art on Wednesday 17 June 2020.
It will be led by artists sharing their artwork online using the hashtags #WeShallNotBeRemoved and #EndAbleism.
The campaign is designed to raise awareness of the magnified inequalities for Disabled people working in the creative industries caused by the pandemic, as many Disabled artists face long term shielding, loss of income and invisibility in wider society.
Musician and campaigner John Kelly said:
“We want to demonstrate solidarity and support for Disabled people who are facing a very challenging future because of the pandemic, by sharing the rich tapestry of our artworks to raise our voice, our talent and our resilience.”
Follow #WeShallNotBeRemoved for more info.
DM LIVE – #WeShallNotBeRemoved – 17th June 2020
Drake Music is part of the WeShallNotBeRemoved alliance and we are excited to share music by some incredible artists as part of the social media action day!
Join us on Facebook on 17th June 2020 from 8pm for live performances from talented Disabled artists.
We can’t wait to bring you this eclectic line-up, showing the breadth of Disabled talent in the UK music scene, including:
James Holt
This singer-songwriter from Manchester brings his arresting voice (reminiscent of John Lennon or early Bob Dylan), wily lyrics and upbeat weave of rock, prog and blues to the DM stage. Championed by the likes of BBC Introducing and Brian Eno, catch him now before he’s packing out stadiums.
EY5Z
Multi-talented musician, composer and producer EY5Z (pronounced ‘eyes’) describes her music as wide-ranging, but her favourites are hip hop and R&B, both of which influence her tracks as they take you from wavy synths and skippy beats to heart-on-the-sleeve lyricism. She started learning to play the guitar at the age of 7, taught herself drums and then learned piano to help her compose her own music. More recently she was part of our Go Compose project, writing and recording beats, developing her music technology skills to allow her to fully realise her creative vision.
Dike Okoh
Dike is a songwriter, producer, artist, playwright and teacher with an ability to craft instantly engaging songs which reward the repeat listener with lush melodies and emotionally intelligent lyrics. He specialises in several disciplines of audio and audio-visual composition and production, writing for theatre, tv and film as well as creating music in his own name. Dike was previously signed as a writer to EMI music publishing UK and has toured widely as a musician, including performances at Glastonbury Festival and the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.
Robyn Steward
Robyn Steward is a trumpet player, mostly playing through guitar pedals. Robyn is part of Heart n Soul’s artistic development programme, and runs a series of gigs which aim to be inclusive, conscious of anyone who might feel in a minority within a space. The gigs are called Robyn’s Rocket. Robyn describes herself as a Jazz influenced space Trumpeter.
Artists in Residence
We will also be featuring exclusive new work made by the Drake Music Artists in Residence – Elinor Rowlands, Gareth Cutter and Sonia Allori.
Don’t miss it!
Follow the hashtag #WeShallNotBeRemoved to see amazing work by Disabled artists all day on 17th June.
And finally… you are invited to the campaign after party! hosted by John Kelly live on his Facebook from 11.15pm, with a few tunes and a lot of letting loose!
