Architects, property developers and local planners need to better prioritise music venues and listen more closely to artists and performers when designing regeneration schemes, a new report by Legal & General has said
Report authors Sound Diplomacy, a consultancy that advised the mayors of London, New York and Barcelona on cultural policy and night time economy, says that mapping out music businesses, creating more mixed-use developments and undertaking more meaningful community engagement could help architects and planners reverse the decline of music venues.
Legal & General believes the time is right to start a conversation about how we value less tangible treasures such as music and culture.
John Cummins, managing director of future cities at Legal & General Capital, said: “It’s easy to think about investment in terms of pounds and pence, but when you look at any city across the world, places will either thrive or not depending on the cultural or sporting legacies that underpin them.
“We of course need jobs and great housing, but we also need places to enjoy your life, it all of these things together that will make our future cities better.
“While buildings will change and cities will evolve, music will be with us for centuries to come and as long term investors, it’s our responsibility to do what we can to support it. “
Titled ‘This Must Be The Place’, the report warns music venues are currently not high priorities when planning decisions are made, eroding the cultural fabric and heritage of our cities. This is reducing not just live music, but the potential for study, recreation and community uses – all of which help educate communities and reduce crime.
Britain has lost over a third of its music venues over the last decade, says charity group Music Venue Trust.
According to research from Insure4Music, on average one small music venue a month is closing and 20% of the UK’s small music venues have closed in the last 15 years.
This is despite live music events generating a contribution of £991m to the UK economy, and the wider industry being worth £4.5bn to the UK economy in 2018, according to UK Music.
Key recommendations from the report include:
- Map the cultural offering of a neighbourhood – understanding the needs of a neighbourhood before submitting the initial planning proposal is key in providing the right venues for the area, and ensuring a long-term strategy is followed through planning to development. This means surveying the number of artists’ workspaces, LGTBQ+ venues, nightclubs, and rehearsal studios amongst other cultural facilities and creating an interactive map.
- Community outreach – inviting local artists to consult with designers and developers during planning to inform development and avoid future issues of NIMBYism.
- Encourage mixed-use developments – using these spaces to provide music venues and community space could increase footfall to high streets and help small businesses navigate the expenses of business rates.
- Use future tax levies to fund development – by understanding the economic value cultural developments can have on a community, the report suggests engaging with local authorities and businesses to approve a tax on all cultural events.
- Prioritise user experience over commerciality – with the current generation more experience-focused, it is essential that all developments think more holistically about their cultural impact and ensure a long-term strategy for town development.
Support for local music and culture is also key to encouraging diversity.
Helping gig venues through initiatives like the Mayor’s Vision for London will help boost economies, tourism and build a lasting infrastructure that will support development fit for the future and foster strong communities, according to the report.
Shain Shapiro PhD, founder at Sound Diplomacy, said: “It’s really positive that major institutions are now taking such a proactive role in wanting to shape the musical and cultural footprint of our cities. Responsible investors recognise that “build and they will come” no longer works and that to create a real sense of place, fundamentals like music, art and education need to be considered at an early stage.
“The music industry offers huge economic opportunities for cities but this isn’t about money – it’s about quality of life. That’s why finding innovative ways to sustain music and culture across entire neighbourhoods is so crucial.
“Places across Britain – from Glasgow to Bristol and Manchester to Chelmsford – have rich music histories and we have to ensure that the cultural value of communities is preserved and that investment and support isn’t solely focused on London. “Legal & General’s commitment to our Future Cities plan is just the support we need to engage in a proactive, rather than reactive, cultural development.”
Councillor Huw Thomas, leader of Cardiff Council, said: “Cardiff has been working closely with Sound Diplomacy on a music ecology assessment and strategy, exploring ways to develop the sector and infrastructure so music can thrive in the city.
“Culture has been at the forefront of the cities transformation in recent years and now we putting music at its heart. We realise you cannot lift people’s aspirations by limiting their horizons, music in a national utility of the soul which requires investment’.”
Tateo Nakajima, director of culture and venues at Arup, commented: “Without culture, we risk losing our sense of place and identity. This study brings forth thinking that is critically needed in order to make our communities vibrant and healthy. Essential reading for anyone working in this space.”
Michael Dugher, CEO of UK Music, added: “Planning decisions, licensing changes, business rates and rent rises are all to blame for the decline in music venues in recent years.
“UK Music successfully campaigned for a change in the law to deliver the Agent of Change principle to help small venues stave off the threat from developers. We also helped secure £1.5m in ring-fenced funding for grassroots venues from Arts Council England. And we have set up new Music Boards in city regions throughout the country to coordinate help for venues and ensure local music scenes are as culturally diverse and inclusive as possible.
“But we still need more action and Government support – including in accepting the hard-fought for recommendations of the recent DCMS Select Committee report such as appointing a statutory consultative body to promote the protection of music venues and provide advice to local authorities on planning applications and how to monitor the use of Agent of Change.
“Protecting our venues is not just about the £1bn a year that live music contributes to the UK economy. It’s also about protecting the talent pipeline, ensuring access for all to a world-leading industry and celebrating our country’s cultural identity.
“Ed Sheeran, Adele and Stormzy are global music icons that all developed their careers in precisely the small music venues that have either been forced to close or that are now under threat. We must all do more to help them survive and thrive in our towns and cities.”
