Levelling the field for disabilities at Glastonbury
Sophia FloodA drum and bass DJ who will play one of the very last sets of Glastonbury Festival 2025 has said he was left "speechless" after being asked to perform.
Karl Flood - who goes by the name DJ Flood - uses a wheelchair and is being featured as part of Glastonbury's accessibility programme, Levelling the Field.
The 32-year-old DJ from Kent, who has Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita - which means his joints are curved - will be closing the Rum Shack from 04:00 until 05:00 BST on Monday.
Pushing for more inclusivity in the music and production scene he said: "To start this (programme) off at Glastonbury, hopefully other festivals, other venues, will follow suit and more people will be able to get involved."
Flood, who also works as a teacher, added being asked to play at the festival "means a lot".
"I'm speechless. It's just amazing," he said.
Levelling the Field aims to open up opportunities for people with different needs, accessibility issues or learning disabilities to help give them live festival experience in stage management, artist liaison, and event production.
"This is actually the first scheme I've ever heard of," Flood said.
"It's definitely needed at the moment. There's so much opportunity out there for people with disabilities, but nobody's made the jump to actually do anything like this."
He added a lot of the obstacles stopping people with disabilities getting into the industry are around access.
"This is why Levelling the Field is so good, because the stage before Levelling the Field didn't have access, whereas now they have put in a lift, so people in wheelchairs can get on stage.
"And there's other things where they have made adaptations for people who have short sight or they have got BSL (British Sign Language) interpreters, so it's really changed the game."
William Ogdem, 34, from Farnborough, who is profoundly deaf and partially blinded, has also been supported by Levelling the Field.
He is working with the production team at The Common area of Glastonbury, making sure the sound and lights are safe and "putting on a good show for the punters".
Usually a university support officer, helping students with mental and additional needs and disabilities, he said "to be in a creative industry at Glastonbury is a whole new ballpark".
"Opportunities don't come around very often for people with disabilities, and I feel that we're not valued in this day and age of inclusivity.
"Glastonbury Festival, and Levelling the Field, are doing a good job of it because not only are we working backstage, but we're actually given the opportunity to do so."
In its second year at Glastonbury, Levelling the Field co-founder Natty said its key objective is to increase the number of disabled people participating in backstage roles.
He added they have "learned a lot" from last year, ranging from helping people get onto the site, to how they move around while there, and communicating with each other.
For people who use a wheelchair, they have ensured there is access for specially-adapted vehicles and have put in tent flooring and power to help with hoists.
"It's these little tiny considerations that need to be made," Natty said.
He added: "There's so many moving components at a festival and as a result of all these changes, we have to adapt all the time.
"We're all learning and that has been the absolutely beautiful thing about it.
"So hopefully we can keep moving that forward and we learn from one another, our participants are teaching us things and we're obviously showing them the ropes of how to get into events.
"So let's make history, let's change it. It's brilliant to see."
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