The British theatre industry reportedly employs around 290,000 people (as of 2018), making it one of a significant employer within the UK live sector as a whole. With the continuing disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, theatre has undoubtedly taken a substantial financial hit as a result of the virus. LMX research intern, Brooke Harwood, writes here about the efforts made to save a beleaguered theatre industry and the theatre companies’ determination to provide beloved festive shows in 2020.
Category Archives: Blog
Covid and the Welsh Music Industries – Paul Carr
In this post, Professor Paul Carr of the University of South Wales outlines a recent report presented to the Welsh Government’s Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee on the impact of Covid-19 on the Welsh music industries. Here, he summarises key findings and recommendations, and reflects on the process of conducting the research.
Safer spaces policies are really useful: Introducing a new Guide on how to write one – Rosemary Lucy Hill
Home thoughts on festive occasions – Simon Frith
‘Virtually Knockengorroch’ The festival season goes virtual: one promoter’s perspective – Katch Holmes
The Birmingham Live Music Project Map – Craig Hamilton
Our latest post is by Dr Craig Hamilton (Birmingham City University) and introduces the Birmingham music map – part of the Birmingham Live Music Project that he is working on with Dr Patrycja Rozbicka and Live Music Exchange’s Dr Adam Behr. Craig provides an overview of the map’s functions and a walkthrough of the technical aspects of creating it.
Journal of a Plague Week – Simon Frith
Our latest post is by Professor Simon Frith OBE, Professor Emeritus at the University of Edinburgh, former Chair of the Mercury Prize, music critic, and co-founder of Live Music Exchange. Here, he reflects on past gigs and the curtailment of live music activity as a result of Covid-19, from a personal and sociological perspective.
Looking for silver linings – Abigail Dunn
Gender Representation in TRNSMT’s 2020 Line-Up – Abigail Dunn
Pop music festivals and (cultural) policies – New IASPM Journal special issue
In this post, we’re introducing a special issue of the Journal of The International Association for the Study of Popular Music co-edited by the Live Music Exchange’s Martin Cloonan and Adam Behr, with Beate Flath. Festivals, along with live music in general, are increasingly a part of the broader political process and, relatedly, the cultural policy process. This timely issue approaches the politics of popular music festivals from a range of theoretical and geographical perspectives.