We talk to Founder, Dom Smith about the development of his new project looking at inspiring people with disabilities (and mental health issues) within the creative industries.

What is your mission for WARO now?

Dom] I've always had a desire to motivate and inspire people within creative industries - a lot of what I do with Soundsphere magazine - which centres around alternative music, arts and culture for the North of England, and worldwide - is about inspiring young people, and giving them opportunities within the creative industries in music, and the arts. Otherwise, we'd be just like any other music blog, wouldn't we? Haha!

With WARO, it started as a clothing line idea, with the first design meant to remind of me with my walking sticks, but then I decided we could have more designs that represent a wider range of disabilities - amputations, as well as non-visible disabilities, and mental health issues. We're working on this right now, and we encourage anybody who likes what we do, to send their ideas for designs in.

Also, given the success of Soundsphere over the last near-decade of existence, I thought it would be nice to build an online magazine-type platform pushing and promoting talented people within the creative industries, in a way that my other project, Disabled Entrepreneurs (with co-founder, Shane Bratby) hasn't quite ever been able to do, as we have a more corporate lean to what we do.

Over the next few months - the website (built by Mattix Design inside our office at C4DI in Hull) will be launched in July - we'll be scouring the UK, and the world for creative talent within the disability and mental health sectors about their "creative" work. Just for note, we define "creativity" as anybody with the desire, or ability to create something with which they can develop and grow. So, if you have a business in construction, that's cool, because you built it, that's creative! Equally, if you are an artist, or musician in a band, then we want to hear from you, and interview you about what you do!!

What do you hope to achieve in the future?

We want to create a resource that inspires, and motivates people - whether they have a disability, mental health issue or more. That's it. I've never been about doing stuff for money, though that'd be nice! We want to build something that people from all walks of life, and abilities can find interest in!