FAC Insights: Hello To Normal Land by Rich Legate

FAC Insights is a forum for us to showcase and share long form pieces looking at various parts of the music industry and the society that shapes it. Pieces take the form of videos, interviews, discussions, articles and more. This week we are delighted to kick off our 2021 with our first FAC Insights piece. A very special contribution by Rich Legate from Attitude is Everything(AiE).

In 2020 FAC and Attitude is Everything launched a strategic partnership to work towards ensuring that the rights and interests of Deaf and disabled artists are fairly represented within the music industry. As part of this partnership, Hello To Normal Land was created - a series of short conversations with artists from AiE’s Next Stage initiative, exclusively for FAC Insights.

In this edition Rich checks in with musician Kelli Blanchett, who had been performing with band Self Esteem prior to the outbreak of COVID-19. With funding secured to launch her solo project, Kelli is preparing a debut EP and film project to be released later this year, produced by Rebecca Taylor (Slow Club, Self Esteem).

Attitude is Everything have been supporting the music industry for over 20 years, removing barriers for deaf and disabled artists, audiences and professionals so they can play their part. They are a disability-led charity that work in partnership with non-profit and commercial organisations to make what they do more accessible and inclusive: from big hitters like Glastonbury Festival, Reading & Leeds, British Summer Time and the 02 Arena - right down to many amazing grassroots venues across the UK.

Next Stage is AiE’s artist development initiative which increases the representation of artists with access requirements, whether they identify as deaf/disabled or not. During ‘Hello To Normal Land’ editions of FAC Insights, artists within the Next Stage network will share how they’re keeping creative during the pandemic, their experiences of working differently and how they navigate the music industry.

Kelli on Twitter / Listen to Self Esteem / More about Attitude is Everything / Attitude is Everything on Twitter