Healthy Music Audiences: Music, Gender and Health
Unleash the Archers perform to a rapturous audience. c. Rosemary Hill
Healthy music audiences: music, gender and health is a small research project investigating sexual violence at gigs in Leeds. The researchers are Dr Rosemary Lucy Hill (PI, joining the University of Huddersfield Jan 2019), Professor David Hesmondhalgh (PI, University of Leeds) and Molly Megson (University of Leeds). The project is a collaboration with The Leeds Music Hub, a venue and community music centre, and Girl Gang Leeds, a promotions collective that organise events in support of the artistic endeavours of women and LGBTQ people. The project received funding from Leeds Cultural Institute.
The project undertook research between February and September 2018. We sought to understand how sexual assaults and harassment are experienced by gig goers, venues and promoters in Leeds. We particularly wanted to know what venues and promoters are already doing to prevent and respond to incidents and to consider what more might be done. Our focus was on small independent venues. We spoke to seven gig goers, three venues, three promoters, and three anti-violence campaigning organisations. We also observed three gigs.
With input from the campaigning organisations, we have created a set of guidelines for venues, promoters and gig goers. We would be interested to hear your views.