November 14th – 18th is anti-bullying week 2016 and what better way for award winning artist Rachael Sage to show her support than by donating all of the proceeds of her new EP ‘Home’ featuring anti-bullying anthem ‘I Don’t Believe It’ to Ditch The Label. ‘I Don’t Believe It’ explores the topic of bullying and features 3-time national dance champion Kaci King, an eleven-year-old performer who reached out to Sage on Facebook.

Ditch The Label are one of the largest and most ambitious anti-bullying charities in the world. They are defiant, innovative and most importantly, proud to be different. Their mission is to reduce the effects and prominence of bullying internationally. No more disempowerment. No more prejudice. No more bullying.

Each year, they provide award-winning support to thousands of young people aged 12-25, primarily through online partnerships. They also work with schools, colleges, parents/guardians, young people and other youth organisations. Innovation is at the core of all that they do and they believe that they can, and will beat bullying altogether. Sage says, “I’m incredibly honoured to be working with Ditch The Label. ‘I Don’t Believe It’ is a song about rising above someone who is putting you down—whether it be a strict teacher, parent or other authority figure, or someone who is bullying you.

As someone who experienced bullying throughout my grammar school and later my high school years, and who also struggled to reconcile some of the harsher teaching methods during my ballet training, I wanted to write an empowering song that was fast-moving and literally compels you to shake off doubt. “In the video, our young dancer/heroine (Kaci King) moves from a tentative approach to her accomplished dancing, to a more inspired, transcendent expressiveness, once she is able to overcome her own doubt and let go of trying to be ‘perfect’ for her teacher. We watch her embrace her own joy and power and as she does, other diverse, mature dancers weave in and out of the video, contrasting various dance styles including tap, ballroom and ballet, and celebrating the confident, liberated dancer inside all of us.”

Glenn Sargeant

(Many thanks to Cat for help with this announcement)