Do you know about our Fair Access Principles? We are committed to ensuring that our programmes help under-represented voices thrive in the music industry.
With an artist-centred approach, our Fair Access Principles guide how we design our programmes and awards to ensure they are as inclusive and accessible as possible.
Over 35 music organisations have signed up to our Fair Access Principles and 100s more joined us in our annual Fair Access Assemblies.
As we celebrate five years of Fair Access, we’re launching a sector-wide push to raise awareness and encourage even more organisations to endorse these principles. If you or an organisation, ensemble, or venue you work with would like to learn more, we’d love to invite you to one of our upcoming information sessions.
Fair Access Sessions
These sessions will be a relaxed space to learn more about the Principles and find out how they may apply to your organisation. Held by Laonikos, our Head of Programmes, you will have the opportunity to discuss any specific questions or challenges around the process of signing up.
Upcoming sessions
- Thursday 30 January 2025, 2-3pm: Register here for Thu 30 January
- Thursday 13 February 2025, 10-11am: Register here for Thu 13 February
- Tuesday 25 February 2025, 2-3pm: Register here for Tue 25 February
What are the Fair Access Principles?
The Fair Access Principles are a set of best practices designed to ensure artist development programmes, open calls, awards and commissions are open and inclusive.
Founded through consultation with a wide range of composers and organisations, these principles serve as a guide for positive change and continuous improvement in the music industry
They are divided into four key areas: Applications, Selection, Money, and Conversation.
Read the Fair Access Principles (PDF)
“Sound and Music gave me opportunities I did not have anywhere else. The Fair Access Principles bring an equity to opportunities and are essential to developing artists and new sounds from sections of the population and parts of the UK that often don’t have as much of a voice in our nation’s culture.”
— Supriya Nagarajan, Composer
Why the Fair Access Principles matter?
Over the last few years, we’ve worked hard to diversify the artists we collaborate with and have seen real progress internally as well as in the sector. While this is encouraging, we know there is still more to do. Too often, barriers such as background, financial circumstances, access needs, or demographic factors prevent talented artists from benefiting from opportunities.
By embracing the Fair Access Principles, we’re opening a conversation about how we, as a sector, can collectively remove these barriers and ensure equality of opportunity for everyone. We want to make sure that all composers, regardless of background, have the chance to showcase their talent and be supported in their growth.
We continue to take a leading role in combating any form of conscious or subconscious discrimination in the new music sector, including through our ongoing advocacy for these principles.
“We are thrilled to be working with Sound and Music to help improve the accessibility of our programmes. We believe working collaboratively is the best driver for change and look forward to better representation through cooperative commitment to the Fair Access Principles.”
— Heather Spencer, Programme Manager at Jazz North
A snapshot of our progress
We have made significant changes to our programmes since launching the Principles across all of our work and we are seeing real results in the diversity of people we are attracting and supporting through our opportunities.
On our current In the Making programme for young composers, 22% of participants now identify as part of the Global Majority, 33% are Women, 28% are D/deaf, disabled, or neurodivergent, and 70% come from outside London.
For 2024’s In Motion programme, 50% of artists identify as part of the Global Majority, 60% are Women, 20% are of a minority gender, and 28% are D/deaf, disabled, or neurodivergent. We’ve also seen stronger representation across the UK, with half of the participants coming from outside the capital.
Similarly, our Essentials Fund has seen improvements, with 32% of recipients identifying as part of the Global Majority, 47% as Women, 25% as D/deaf, disabled, or neurodivergent, and 69% based outside London.
Our EDI Commitment
We are committed to encouraging diversity and eliminating discrimination both in our role as an employer and as a provider of opportunities and services. As a national organisation, we recognise the role and responsibility we have in championing equity, diversity, and inclusion across our work and the sector.
We know that by increasing the diversity of composers, artists, young people, and audiences we engage with, we broaden the range of talented composers accessing support, enriching the cultural landscape of the UK and ensuring everyone can reach their potential. We continue to work with others in the sector to champion the Fair Access Principles and work towards more impactful change across the sector.
Read our EDI policy.