We welcome The Abram Wilson Foundation for Creative Arts as the latest partner to sign up to our Fair Access Principles.
Music has the ability to shape lives, communities and culture, but to do so meaningfully it must be representative of all of the UK. Our Fair Access Principles are a sector-leading code of best practice for inclusive and equitable artist development, designed to address structural barriers and create fairer pathways in music. With over 35 organisations now signed up, the network is a powerful force for collective action and shared accountability in equity and inclusion across the sector.
By committing to the Principles, The Abram Wilson Foundation for Creative Arts join a growing national movement of organisations embedding equity and access into their approach to talent development.
About The Abram Wilson Foundation For Creative Arts
Working across the North West of England and London, The Abram Wilson Foundation for Creative Arts works to inspire, connect and open doors to the music industry so that minoritised young talent have an equal chance to realise their creative potential. Inspired by the critically acclaimed musician Abram Wilson, the charity champions young people and emerging professional musicians through its Future Sound music education programme and career development initiatives, working to unleash talent and carve equitable space in the UK music industry.
Each year, Future Sound reaches at least 2,000 young people through partnerships with up to 15 secondary schools, tailoring activity to the aspirations of each community. It prioritises access for those most excluded from the arts: at least 50% of participants are racially minoritised or eligible for the Pupil Premium. The programme trains and employs local emerging musicians – prioritising those from backgrounds similar to the young people they teach – creating sustainable income pathways and relatable role models in the classroom.
The charity’s varied career development work supports emerging professional musicians from minoritised backgrounds to diversify their income by training as workshop leaders, while also sharing industry opportunities to platform their talent. The charity recently established an Artistic Board formed of 13 musicians, educators and cultural leaders, helping guide their work and centering the voices of artists at a strategic level.
Read their motivations for signing up to the Fair Access Principles and the associated commitments the organisation has made below.
The Abram Wilson Foundation for Creative Arts’ Statement
“As a grassroots charity working toward a more equitable music industry, we’re proud to sign up to the Fair Access Principles. These principles align deeply with our mission and mark an important step in breaking down the barriers that too often exclude talented music creators.
We’re excited to be part of this growing network driving collective, systemic change, and this underlines our commitment to continual learning as we help shape a more inclusive future for music.”
– Mercy Welbeck, Creative Director at The Abram Wilson Foundation for Creative Arts
Want to get involved?
We’re always welcome more partners to join our ever growing Fair Access Network and commit to the principles.
Find out more about the benefits and how to get involved by emailing our Head of Programmes, Laonikos Psimikakis-Chalkokondylis at: laonikos.pc@soundandmusic.org.
Watch our Fair Access Assembly 2025 film below to get a sense of the energy and impact of the network:
Learn more about our Fair Access Principles
Contact us about getting involved
Read the Fair Access Principles