BIGGER, better – and fully accessible for disabled music fans. That’s the award-winning Chase Park Festival which returns to Gateshead on Saturday (August 8) with its strongest ever line-up.
Irish rock legends Ash will be on stage along with some of the nation’s finest established and emerging disabled artists.
The family-friendly, open-air festival will feature two stages of live music and will also welcome appearances from London’s chart-topping indie folk foursome Turin Brakes, Sunderland’s Field Music-backed outfit SLUG, Glasgow’s post-pop assemble Monogram and Newcastle’s soul-singing sensation, Beth Macari.
Earlier this year Chase was awarded the esteemed gold level of Attitude is Everything’s Charter of Best Practice, one of only three festivals nationwide to receive the accolade.
The award recognises the wide range of access facilities and inclusive initiatives that the festival has embraced in welcoming deaf and disabled audiences, artists and volunteers. The only two other festivals to hold the Gold accolades are Glastonbury and Liberty Festival.
Festival organiser Alistair McDonald said: “We have an amazing line-up and I think anyone who is a music fan will have a great time. The event will also to appeal to people with disability as we have a range of provisions in place.
“Achieving ‘gold standard’ from Attitude is Everything is an amazing achievement and to be mentioned in the same breath as Glastonbury and Liberty Festival is something else. This should also give smaller festivals the confidence that they can achieve a fully-inclusive and superb event like ours.”
The festival, which is organised by North East care specialists Keiro, will also feature a second stage to give disabled artists an opportunity to perform in front of a festival audience.
Rob Ottaway, at Soundscapes Music Studio, at the Percy Hedley Foundation, which partners the event, said: “We’re proud to support Chase Park Festival. It’s the perfect festival for our service users to attend, in terms of disabled access and onsite facilities. It also gives them a platform to showcase their own talents onstage, alongside established acts.
“The event boasts superb facilities and excellent disabled access on site and allows our acts to experience the sheer thrill of playing their music in front of a large passionate crowd.”
Jane Tarr, director North, Arts Council England, added: “As an accessible festival, it’s a great platform for developing new talent and emerging, disabled artists.”
Gates to Chase Park Festival 2015 will open at midday on Saturday 8th August and the event closes at 9pm.
For more information and to buy tickets (£6, family £10) visit: http://bit.ly/ChasePark
www.keirogroup.co.uk/chase-park-festival-2015
