0UTLYER, the inclusive entertainment production company founded by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and singer, performer and disability advocate Emmanuel Kelly will host a landmark reception at the Palace of Westminster on 15 July to help put disability employment higher on the national agenda.
The event, titled “Breaking Barriers, Backing Talent”, will bring together senior figures from Parliament, government, the entertainment industry, business and the wider inclusion sector in support of the launch of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Disability Employment.
Richard Baker MP, a long-term supporter of 0utlyer’s work, is helping to co-ordinate the event which will include Secretary of State for DWP Pat MacFadden, Adam Hills (‘The Last Leg”), and Royce Pierreson (“The Witcher”).
The reception will focus on how employers, policymakers and industry leaders can work together to create more opportunities for disabled and neurodivergent people, remove barriers to employment and ensure talent is recognised, developed and supported to succeed.
At a time when conversations around representation have advanced, 0UTLYER believes employment outcomes must become the true measure of progress. The event will encourage practical commitments from organisations across broadcasting, film, television, music and business, with a clear focus on turning ambition into action.
Kelly’s own story underpins the mission. As an infant he was found abandoned on a battlefield in Iraq and taken in by nuns at an orphanage in Baghdad, having been born with underdeveloped limbs after his birth mother’s exposure to chemical warfare. He was adopted by Australian humanitarian Moira Kelly and moved to Australia as a child, where surgery allowed him to be fitted with prosthetics.
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He shot to public attention on Australia’s X Factor as a teenager and has since built a career that has taken in Sydney Opera House, a Las Vegas headline slot, the first differently abled artist to ever do a stadium tour when he opened for Coldplay, and, in 2025, another landmark turn as the first disabled artist to perform in a FIFA halftime show.
Joanne Reay, co-CEO and founder of 0UTLYER, said: “Inclusive employment cannot sit at the edge of the conversation any longer. It needs to be at the centre of policy, business and culture.
“This event is about bringing together the people who can make a real difference and asking a simple question: what are we actually going to do? We know the talent exists. Now we need to ensure the opportunities do too.”
“By working together across government, industry and business, we can break down barriers and help create lasting pathways into meaningful careers for disabled and neurodivergent people.”
Richard Baker MP said: “The launch of the APPG for Disability Employment is an important opportunity to bring cross-party focus to the barriers disabled people continue to face in the workplace. Employment is not only about income. It is about independence, confidence, dignity and opportunity. We must ensure that every sector, including the creative industries, plays its part in building a fairer and more inclusive labour market.”
The event reflects 0UTLYER’s wider mission to champion disabled, neurodivergent and excluded talent across the entertainment industry, creating opportunities both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.
Founded by Emmanuel Kelly, Chris Martin and Joanne Reay, 0UTLYER is committed to making the creative industries more accessible, representative and opportunity-led through production, recruitment, training and industry partnerships.