UK Music has thrown its support behind a new charter to improve diversity across the creative industries.
Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright unveiled the charter. It has been agreed by the Creative Industries Council and those in the sector are being urged to adopt the charter.
Signatories to the eight-point document pledge to collect data on diversity and inclusion, increase diversity at entry level and to diversify mid-level and senior hiring, among other measures.
UK Music has been busy in recent years with its own Diversity Taskforce.
CEO Michael Dugher said: “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 [Keith Harris] 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.”
Dugher added: “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”.
The Diversity Charter is available here.