Live comedy estimated to be worth over £1billion to the UK economy
- A research project has concluded that the live comedy sector is worth more than £1billion to the UK economy annually
- Further research is to follow, with the aim being to use the final report to lobby for the government to better support the industry
- The Centre for Comedy Studies Research says: "We are pretty confident there has never been a survey like this before and the results give us an incredible insight into the contribution live comedy makes to the UK"
A partnership of organisations are working on a research project that suggests the British live comedy sector is annually worth in excess of £1billion to the UK economy.
The Centre for Comedy Studies Research (based at Brunel University), The Live Comedy Association and British Comedy Guide surveyed over 350 people working in the UK live comedy sector to obtain data to help estimate the size of the industry.
It is believed to be the first time anyone has attempted to comprehensively measure the sector, and the goal is to use the resultant findings to lobby the new Government for more support for live comedy taking place around the country.
Jessica Toomey, co-chair of the Live Comedy Association, says: "We are delighted with the initial results of the survey and want to thank everyone who completed it. Although the survey was anonymous, it is clear that a broad range of people working in live comedy answered the questions and gave us valuable data. We know more about a part of the sector, but we now want to do more work to quantify the total amounts generated. We can use the initial results to continue to lobby and advocate to the new government and policy makers to help all those who do such amazing work. We will now work through the results in more detail and we will report in more detail later this year."
The survey revealed that, of those who filled in the survey, 43% of people who work off stage are sole traders, whilst the same number report themselves as working for a limited company. 93% of comedians are sole traders or work alone. 64% of the organisations answering the survey have been working in live comedy for more than 10 years, with 10% operating for less than 2 years. 57% of comedians who responded to the survey have been performing for more than 11 years and 65% of comedians reported that the majority of their bookings come from individual comedy bookers.
Highlighting the "grass roots" nature of the sector, the survey suggests around 80% of people who work off stage promote live comedy in venues with capacities less than 250 people.
Further data analysis and research will now be carried out, with the full results of the survey and further information published later this year in a joint report by Dr Sharon Lockyer and Dr Simon Weaver from Brunel University London.
David Elphick, co-chair of the Live Comedy Association, says: "The contribution live comedy makes to the UK is really important and we now have a much better sense of the detail behind this. We now know, for example, that live comedy is more accessible than theatre with average ticket prices for comedy being almost 23% cheaper than for theatre. We also know that the majority of live comedy helps support the night-time economy across the country, with almost 48% of venues being based in city centres. We also know that between 5-10 jobs are supported in venues, in addition to those directly associated with the performances."
The survey results also highlight the cultural impact comedy has, as well as its altruistic nature. Of the people working off stage who responded to the survey, 72% believe their main contribution is in adding to a vibrant cultural offer in their community, whilst 65% help celebrate British comedy and sense of humour. 57% of people working off stage give opportunities for people to develop their skills off stage, by working on shows and events, with 31% of the trainees then going on to get paid employment in the industry. 80% host shows to raise money for charities and 51% get involved in community projects or activities. 84% of comedians perform in support of charities or community projects each year.
Director of the Centre for Comedy Studies Research at Brunel University London, Dr Sharon Lockyer, comments: "We are delighted with the initial results from the survey. We are pretty confident there has never been a survey like this before and the results give us an incredible insight into the contribution live comedy makes to the UK. We also know how amazingly diverse the sector is, with survey responses from a real mix of people at different stages of their careers.
"The results suggest the financial contribution live comedy makes to the economy and also the broader value of the sector. The contribution to supporting charities and fundraising is impressive, so are the informal training and development opportunities on offer. It seems there is a healthy number of people entering the sector, either as comedians or off stage, partly due to the commitment across the board of supporting new and emerging talent."