Deaf and disabled access charity Attitude is Everything has revealed its involvement in the upcoming tour by Mbongwana Star, which has seen more venues sign up to its Access Starts Online campaign.
Working in close partnership with the Kinshasa band’s booking agent ATC Live, the 11-date headline tour, which starts on June 9 at Cardiff’s Festival Of Voices, will be 100% accessible for both band members and audiences.
Brighton’s Komedia, which hosts the Kinshasa band on June 13, has refreshed its website to meet the requirements of Access Starts Online, and will soon be making the step-up to Charter status.
“Helping to develop this all-accessible tour for Mbongwana Star has been a real highpoint for Attitude is Everything, and encapsulates what our charity is about - working with a truly forward-thinking partner like ATC Live to help bring one of the world’s most exciting live bands to fans from all backgrounds," said Attitude is Everything CEO Suzanne Bull (pictured). "This is truly ‘music without barriers’. I hope it leads to more venues and festivals coming onboard and supporting our Access Starts Online campaign.”
ATC Live's Cecile Communal, Mbongwana Star’s booking agent, added: “We’ve worked closely with Attitude is Everything to book this tour for Mbongwana Star. It was surprisingly rather difficult to find venues across the UK that were accessible for the band backstage, as well as for the audience - but we’re proud to have successfully made this tour 100% accessible and hope it will encourage agents, bands, managers and venues alike to think more deeply about accessibility and to support initiatives like Access Starts Online.”
