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• They were no longer active; remit had changed or lacked funds.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