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The trade union movement in the United Kingdom originated from the idea that a disparate group can speak with one united voice. Regardless of their background, race, religion, gender, age, or sexual orientation, we work hard to ensure that all musicians are fairly represented.
More than just a level playing field is necessary for true equality.
No one, regardless of their ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic, should be denied the basic decency to which they are entitled. A fair approach may, however, require a personalized strategy for each individual to ensure that they can all participate on an equal footing.
A musician who is able to see clearly does not need Braille scores, and a transgender musician may have needs that are not met by the standard music industry. When we talk about equality, we imagine a world in which everyone has access to the same resources.
East Yorkshire native and UCLan alumnus Dom Smith (who has Cerebral Palsy) is a digital journalist and licensed person-centered counselor. Previously named one of the happiest people in the country by the Independent on Sunday, he won the National Diversity Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence in 2012. He has also served as York’s Paralympic Flame Bearer.
After working as, the MIT Journalist in Residence in the United States, 2022 finds Dom based in Yorkshire and the North of England, where he is responsible for running the music magazine Soundsphere. Originally based in Manchester, Chester, and York before relocating to Hull, the project has since assisted with festivals all over the world, including Sziget in Hungary, Exit in Serbia, Leeds and Download in the United Kingdom, and South by Southwest in the United States.
Soundsphere promotes national and local charities such as CALM (The Campaign Against Living Miserably), Accessible Arts and Media (York), and Samaritans through live music showcases that are funded by advertorials from clubs, bars, and academic institutions looking to run work placements (at academic institutions in Hull, Preston, Chester, Leeds and more).
In addition to his work with the Creative Condition, Dom also promotes disability and mental health awareness through his work with Wobbling About and Rocking Out. Dom has spent much of his career as a mentor to young people, working with organizations like The Warren Youth Project in Hull and giving talks and workshops to students all over the country on topics related to entrepreneurship, the media, and journalism.
To name just a few of the publications that have published his work over the years, Dom has contributed to Metro, Rock Sound, WhatCulture, The Quietus, T3, NME.com, Stuff, and Metal Hammer, among others, and has conducted interviews with such notables as Rammstein, Placebo, Alice in Chains, Judas Priest, 1975, McBusted, and Yungblud.
Dom has recently begun penning pieces for pop culture journalism and has collaborated with a wide variety of international performers, such as the magician Dynamo, the wrestler Ric Flair, and many others. A touring drummer, Dom has performed with many different bands across the United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia (in the bands The Parasitic Twins, Seep Away, and Mary And The Ram).
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