Category: Strategy (Page 8 of 11)

Strategy, policy, ideas, opinions and discussion of

National Survey and Mapping Exercise assessing provision & scope of music support work across UK 2009

September 22, 2009 /

The UK Music Sector Forum (MSF) is a network of music support agencies with the aim of providing a vibrant forum for the discussion of issues affecting music support projects and workers across the UK. The MSF has been in operation since 2005.

This survey and resulting report aims to assess the provision and scope of music support work across the UK in 2009.

The objective was to generate a set quantitative data from practising music support organisations for feedback and discussion about the Forums role, in relation to the ongoing benefit to the sector and its community of workers and participants.

During the research process over 100 organisations were contacted with 81 of those completing the survey.

32 organisations were unable to participate in the survey because:

• Their remit delivered a broader arts programme of which the music component was negligible.
• They were no longer active; remit had changed or lacked funds.
• The survey results were collated before response.

The questions were designed to allow freedom of expression and they generated an exceptionally high number of critically productive comments. Multiple respondents’ choices were recorded, but ‘skipped questions’ and ‘no response’ were not and therefore bore no influence on the presented statistical outcomes.

Links to information on each organisation can be found in appendices along with details of forty four (44) unmapped organisations identified for future contact.

This was a fact-finding exercise to identify underlying trends; these have been identified and highlighted using graphic software and filter analysis. Each respondent’s additional critical comments are also printed after each result graphic to aid synthesis of the data.

Conclusion

This survey and resulting data aimed to identify and raise important issues directly and indirectly affecting key operators and stake holders in the music support and development sector. From the outset it became apparent that to take the clearest sector ‘snapshot’, all those practising organisations, departments and bodies would need to be indentified and connected with as participants in the online survey questionnaire.

The large number and variety of respondents has resulted in sector wide coverage generating a resulting selection of quantitative data that can be used to inform a decision making process.

We look forward to your views and suggestions.

Email: contact at musicsectorforum.org.uk or pete at musicisours.com
Online network invite: email invite issued
Telephone: 01612170368

Peter Jenkinson – Music is Ours

Click to Download PDF here: National Survey and Mapping Exercise assessing provision & scope of music support work across UK 2009

Redefining the Music Industry – A public consultation on the future shape, needs, direction and ambitions of the music industry.

September 10, 2009 /

An urgent message from our man Peter Jenkinson: “UK Music has asked us to alert key operators in our network to a consultation paper preparing on the future shape, needs, direction and ambitions of the music industry.”

You can submit your thoughts and  response directly to feedback at ukmusic.org

They are closing responses by the 15th September 2009; if you need any further information go to www.ukmusic.org/consultation

Redefining the Music Industry
A public consultation on the future shape, needs, direction
and ambitions of the music industry.

Closing date for responses: 15th September 2009

About UK Music

Established in October 2008, UK Music is the umbrella body that represents the collective interest of the UK’s commercial music industry: from artists, musicians, songwriters and composers, to record labels, music managers, music publishers, collecting societies and studio producers.

Our member organisations are: the Association of Independent Music (AIM), the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers & Authors (BASCA), BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, the Music Managers Forum (MMF),
the Music Publishers Association Limited (MPA), the Musicians Union (MU), PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited) and PRS for Music.

UK Music exists to understand, explain, promote, protect and nurture the UK’s commercial music sector so that its inherent value grows and its positive knock-on effects reverberate ever further and ever deeper. UK Music, through its wide membership, has access to the very best of the talent, creativity, insight and experience of those who together make up the
commercial music sector.

Drawing on such a rich resource, UK Music is the industry unit for:

Public policy and lobbying
External awareness and public opinion
Research and analysis
Industry-relevant education and skills

For more information see www.ukmusic.org

Overview

As we all know, the music industry has been dramatically re-shaped over the past ten years. In equal measures, this has proved disruptive, challenging and exciting. It will continue to be so.

However, within a fast-changing, ever-evolving commercial market, we believe it is vital that our entire industry can pull together; that we can identify and overcome internal and external challenges, plan, strategise, set
policy and forge ahead.

UK Music is currently working on a detailed report – to be published in late October – that will seek to do just this.

In order to take into account the widest spectrum of opinion, UK Music has announced an open, industry-wide consultation that will inform this report.

Consultation Summary

Specifically, we are asking all those working within, or affected by, the music industry, to contribute their thoughts to a vision of where our commercial sector should be heading over the next 5-10 years, the challenges we need to overcome, and the changes and policies that could positively impact on both individuals and businesses.

The UK is home to the world’s most amazing musical heritage. More importantly, on the world stage we continue to punch way above our weight in terms of musical creativity, innovation and commercial success.

To ensure this remains the case, we need your help and input.

To begin with, we would ask you to respond to the following five questions:

1. What are the key challenges to growth in your particular sector? Where are the greatest opportunities for growth? What policies do you think our industry should be collectively developing to address and support these aspects, and why? Is there any role for Government to help in these areas? If so, how?

2. How can our sector offer better opportunities for young people that wish to engage with our sector? How can we best support those at the grassroots level? Can our industry create better entry avenues for those people aspiring to work within our industry and develop a career in the music business?

3. Is there a skills shortage in your sector? If so, what sort of workforce development or training would best benefit your needs? What should our industry be doing to promote further workplace equality in and throughout the sector?

4. What can industry partners – for instance, commercial radio and the BBC – do to help promote new, diverse, local musical talent across all genres?

5. Are there any other significant issues you would like to draw our attention to? (All considerations offered are welcome.) 

Download the original PDF here: PDF : Redefining the Music Industry

The Scottish Music Industry Association(SMIA) – launched at Go North conference

July 21, 2009 /

To keep you up to date on developments in Scotland, Dave Cross sent us this message after Go North:

“The Scottish Music Industry Association(SMIA) was launched at the Go North conference in Inverness. The SMIA has been many years in the making and has been developed by a team comprising many established leaders in the Music Industry – they will now form its initial Board. The outline objectives, structure and role of the Association was the subject of a feasibility study undertaken by the Scottish Arts Council (SAC) and published in 2005. The formation of the Association then received support of the Scottish Executive and in particular the MSP who Chaired the Cross Party Parliamentary Group on Contemporary Scottish Popular Music. The remit, and integration with local, national and international players was carefully planned and it had been hoped to begin recruitment in 05. The SMIA has this week been able to appoint an administrator, who will be based in the offices of the Scottish Music Centre (next to the City Halls) in Candleriggs, Glasgow.

They have also commissioned Ronnie Gurr, seasoned promoter of networking and coordination of music activity across Scotland, to embarking on a more thorough analysis of the needs and opportunities facing music across all its facets, both in terms of genres and business activity. The Association’s published remit is to act as a representative body promoting the growth of the Scottish music industry with a single, clear voice, supporting the full diversity of Scottish music enterprise in a fair and committed way.

Generator has been closely following and contributing to the processes leading to the SAC feasibility study and the commitment to create the inclusive representative body that was launched today.

Contact them @ The Scottish Music Centre – Candleriggs, Glasgow G1 1NQ Tel 0141 552 5222

info at scottishmusiccentre.com

Download the PDF here: The Scottish Music Industry Association: Feasibility Study pdf

Countercultural Capital & the Creative Economy – How do 1990s DiY Music ‘Entrepreneurs’ talk about the contemporary music business?” by Charlotte Bedford 2008

June 4, 2009 /

Here is a link to “Countercultural Capital & the Creative Economy – How do 1990s DiY Music ‘Entrepreneurs’ talk about the contemporary music business?” written by Charlotte Bedford for her MA Media Enterprise – Birmingham City University (May 2008)

It makes an interesting read…..here is a brief summary:

Placing independent music at the centre of the wider creative industries, this paper captures experiences and perspectives from 1990s DiY Music in order to inform the understanding of the rapidly changing ‘business’ of music.  The research builds on Leadbetter and Oakley’s (1999) description of a ‘new’ model of work derived from cultural entrepreneurs’ characteristic ‘independence’, and Wilson and Stokes’ (2002) subsequent paper on the changing nature of small independent businesses in the music industry.  These ideas are considered in relation to cultural and popular music theory, particularly drawing on Thornton’s (1998) concept of ‘subcultural capital’ where value within a music scene relates to the lines of demarcation differentiating between underground and mainstream.  The role of the cultural entrepreneur is examined through accounts and opinions of independent music practice then and now, exploring the extent to which the current Do-it-Yourself digital music trend is new and ‘independent’.

Funding the Creative Industries by Andy Derrick 13th Feb 2009

February 13, 2009 /

Inspired by several things, I thought I would look at the funding situation for those in creative industries.

At a recent Creative Networks event in Birmingham, Mike Ryan from the LSC stood up and told us all some good news about some funding being made available for the sector as part of Train to Gain. The only condition is that your business has 5 employees or more. As the next talker put it, that excludes nearly 90% of the sector who are embryonic, micro or whatever a sole trader is called these days.

Advantage West Midlands has been putting money into supporting the sector as well through the setting up of projects like Digital Central and Music for Media. They have supported activities like research into audiences, venue development, training in music technology and lots more. Those projects ceased to be funded by AWM in March 2008. The next round of funding was advised by a document drawn up by Clare Edwards who also ran Gigbeth. The early news in Summer 2008 was that the funding was to be split between Birmingham City University (formerly UCE) and Tribal supported by Gigbeth.

To date (13/01/09) no money has been given out.

Arts Council England also support ensembles, projects and other things across the region and some of their money has been swallowed up by the London 2012 Olympics. The funding does seem random with an emphasis on Classical and World music.

So where does this leave us? Funding for a new or developing creative business exists, sometimes, if you are not a sole trader, you play Classical or World Music and you hope to never make a profit. By the way, the money doesn’t come into your account; you have to bankroll it first and claim it back at the end.

So why bother? Most of the people making the decisions don’t have an understanding let alone a grounding in the creative industries. How could they possibly understand your project?

If your creative idea isn’t commercially viable in the first place, should it be helped to survive or left to die?

We should not expect to rely on these funds – they are politically skewed, shrouded in bureaucracy, absorbed by admin costs and near impossible to obtain.

We are in the early stages of a global financial realignment. Old ways of doing business are changing, some dying, some staying. New models of working are being developed.

This is the time to take risks and try something out.

It is worth bearing in mind that in the America of the 1930’s the economy supported the popular music of the time having large touring bands – a situation that has never been repeated in better times.

People still need to eat and drink and after that, the simple things in life – friends and good times are what people want. As musicians, our audience needs us as social commentators, shoulders to cry on, people to share experiences with and for escapism. A man with £3 in his pocket doesn’t mean much, but 100 people make a paying audience.

Remember who you work for, remember you are entertainers – funding doesn’t work, it distorts the market.

This article is printed in full at: http://www.andyderrick.co.uk/

Andy Derrick is an independent freelance musician based in Birmingham, UK. He used to work for the Musicians’ Union delivering front line services and advice to musicians of all genres, experience and backgrounds. Andy’s main work is as a trombonist in many groups playing Jazz, big band, classical and other kinds of music.  He also works in studios as a session musician providing horn tracks for writers and composers. Since 1992 Andy has written and arranged music and currently has works published by Warwick Music and Andek Music.  Andy also Teaches jazz, trombone and music theory working with pupils of all ages and standards across the Midlands.

Click here for some further reading

https://birminghammusicnetwork.com/2009/02/03/a-vision-for-the-music-industry-in-the-west-midlands-by-clare-edwards-june-2008/

https://birminghammusicnetwork.com/2009/02/10/andy-ward-another-view-of-the-west-midlands’-music-industry-and-funding/

http://anthonyjhughes.vox.com/library/post/mad-as-a-march-hare-march-madness-beware-the-eyes-of-march.html

http://anthonyjhughes.vox.com/library/post/gbs-usp.html

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