UK Music welcomes new Diversity Charter

UK Music, the British umbrella organisation which includes the UK Live Music Group, has welcomed a new charter to improve diversity across the creative industries.

Those involved in the creative industries were encouraged to adopt the charter – agreed by the Creative Industries Council (CIC), a joint forum between the government and representatives of music, TV, film, gaming, fashion and the arts – when it was unveiled yesterday by culture secretary Jeremy Wright.

UK Music CEO Michael Dugher comments: “As a member of the Creative Industries Council, I was delighted to sign this important new Diversity Charter on behalf of UK Music and our members.

“UK Music has a long-standing commitment to championing diversity and making our music industry as inclusive as possible. Our Diversity Taskforce, the chair of which sits on the UK Music board, have campaigned hard for years to practical changes and our flagship Diversity Report surveys our entire industry, showing the progress that’s been made but where we still have a great deal more work to do.”

“The charter is a welcome step in helping give people from every background the best chance of forging a career in the UK music business”

He continues: “The Creative Industries Council and the government are to be congratulated on this latest important initiative. The charter is a welcome step in helping give people from every background the best chance of forging a career in the UK music business, which contributes £4.5 billion a year to the economy. Making sure our industry is as diverse as possible is not just the right thing to do – it’s also essential if we are to support our talent pipeline.”

Writing in IQ earlier this year, consultant Claire Singers said senior industry figures, in their annual appraisals, should be challenged on how they are contributing to greater ethnic and gender diversity in the UK music industry.

“They should be asked: what have you done this year to progress the careers of BAME [black, Asian and minority-ethnic] staff, women, LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people] and people with disabilities? Are we recruiting the best person for the team? Who are you mentoring?”

Read the UK Diversity Charter in full here.

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