UK Live Comedy Sector Survey launched
- The UK Live Comedy Sector Survey is open until Sunday 7th July 2024 via comedysurvey.co.uk
- Those who consider the UK live comedy industry to be their main sector of work are being asked to fill in the 5 minute survey
- The results will be used to advocate and lobby for government and public sector support for the live comedy industry
A major survey is aiming to assess the size and scale of the UK live comedy sector for the first time. Those that work in live comedy - both on stage and behind-the-scenes - are being asked to spend 5 minutes completing the survey to help efforts in lobbying for government support for the industry.
The anonymous survey - a partnership between the Live Comedy Association (LCA), British Comedy Guide and Centre for Comedy Studies Research (Brunel University London) - is available to take until Sunday 7th July 2024.
The Centre for Comedy Studies Research will use the results to produce a report that covers the broad economic, social and cultural benefits that the live comedy sector creates. The answers will also allow the Live Comedy Association to further advocate and lobby for government and public sector support alongside other art forms.
Talking about the mission, which is dubbed #SupportLiveComedy, the organisers say: "So far, pre-election strategies and policies mention the arts and support for its future, which typically includes theatre, music, opera, ballet and museums, but not live comedy. These arts sectors have significant amounts of data and research around the scale and impact they have on our UK economy which backs up the need for long-term support from the UK government and political parties."
Experienced promoter David Elphick, who is co-chair of the LCA, says: "We think it's time that the live comedy industry becomes part of the arts industry conversation. If we ever had another crisis or pandemic, we want to make sure comedy is supported through it. Right now, we need to know as much about the industry as possible to ensure long-term support for live comedy, which starts with this survey."
Jessica Toomey, co-chair of the LCA, who has also been working in comedy for over 20 years, adds: "We simply don't know the scale of the live comedy industry. That's why we've created the support live comedy survey. We're focussed on ensuring live comedy gets the recognition it deserves in the conversations about our arts industry and future support for its contribution to the cultural economy.
"There are more comedy clubs than there are opera clubs and possibly even music venues too. Even theatres embrace comedy as a regular part of their programming because they know how popular it is with audiences."
Dr Sharon Lockyer, the founding director of the Centre for Comedy Studies Research, comments: "We are incredibly proud to be working with partners on this crucial piece of work to assess the scale of the live comedy sector across the UK. Without this data, it remains incredibly difficult to lobby for support and advocate for the amazing work people do day in, day out across the live comedy sector. We know the importance that is attached to live comedy and the contribution it makes, thanks to work done in recent years. The results from this survey will significantly help live comedy to become a recognised contributor to our cultural sector alongside other art forms."
The UK live comedy sector survey is open to those who consider the UK live comedy industry to be their main sector of work. It is anonymous and takes about 5 minutes to complete. Further details can be found on comedysurvey.co.uk
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