Latest Jazz Services (UK) statistics

[A Lark Ascending]

Mentioned in this month's Jazzwise:

Jazz - 2.5m audience annually; 1.7m subsidy

Opera - 1.7m audience annually; £73.9m subsidy

Classical - 3.3m audience annually; £140.2m subsidy

Given we are still (just!) a society that accepts the principle of state support for music etc, this remains glaringly inequitable.

Be interesting to see what happens as the cuts start to bite.

[BillF]

Mentioned in this month's Jazzwise:

Jazz - 2.5m audience annually; 1.7m subsidy

Opera - 1.7m audience annually; £73.9m subsidy

Classical - 3.3m audience annually; £140.2m subsidy

Given we are still (just!) a society that accepts the principle of state support for music etc, this remains glaringly inequitable.

Be interesting to see what happens as the cuts start to bite.

First cuts news seems to be running true to form: Wigan Jazz Festival for the first time in 25 years has been reduced from a full week to a long weekend, following axing of local authority funding.

Edited March 26, 2011 by BillF

[sidewinder]

Be interesting to see what happens as the cuts start to bite.

I can only speak for the local scene, the quantity and quality of groups gigging around here seems to be on the up over the past year - although 2008-2010 was low key during the 'crisis'.

Maybe it is a North/South thing?

At the end of the day, the music will be sustained by the enthusiasm local jazz clubs and sterling festivals such as Swanage, for example.

[Head Man]

Mentioned in this month's Jazzwise:

Jazz - 2.5m audience annually; 1.7m subsidy

Opera - 1.7m audience annually; £73.9m subsidy

Classical - 3.3m audience annually; £140.2m subsidy

Given we are still (just!) a society that accepts the principle of state support for music etc, this remains glaringly inequitable.

Be interesting to see what happens as the cuts start to bite.

Every year for the last umpteen, Darlington Arts Centre has run an excellent live jazz season with nearly full houses for all sessions. At the concert last month, (The Stan Tracy Duo/Trio), we learnt that due to cuts in local government funding The Centre was having to drastically reduce its opening times and that jazz had been removed from the programme for next year.

Edited March 28, 2011 by Head Man

[BillF]

Well, yes, it's emerging as a north/south thing. But what do you expect from a government of the rich for the rich?

[Alexander Hawkins]

I completely take the point, although I think it's a bit unfair to map the issue onto an Oxbridge 'at large' thing...

...if completely fair enough to map it onto the (thankfully tiny) percentage of those Universities which house the 'Bullingdon' types...

When I think Cambridge and jazz, I cling on to Art Themen, Dave Gelly, Lionel Grigson, etc!

[Alexander Hawkins]

Well, yes, it's emerging as a north/south thing. But what do you expect from a government of the rich for the rich?

Re north/south: I'm not really sure that I have a view from the 'playing' side of the fence...I don't sense that the issues are north/south as such...rather that all over the country, some have been able to keep their heads above water, some not. Interestingly, consistently the place in the country where gig fees are lowest (of course barring major venues such as the Southbank) is London. (I don't say this as an apologist - I don't live in London, am not a Londoner, etc. etc!)

One special mention from me: Jazz North-East continue to put on an absolutely fantastic programme of stuff. I love going up there to play.

[BillF]

One special mention from me: Jazz North-East continue to put on an absolutely fantastic programme of stuff. I love going up there to play.

Looks like it's not too good in Darlington nowadays!

[Alexander Hawkins]

True, that sounds terrible...

Jazz NE gigs I've done have always been in Newcastle - I'm not sure what their 'jurisdiction' actually is!

[A Lark Ascending]

That cuts will bite is inevitable.

It's the inbuilt refusal to even acknowledge the enormous discrepancy between the use of public money for opera and classical compared with jazz that gets me. It's as if there is still this belief that jazz is really pop and therefore a) able to support itself; and b) not as 'aesthetically' significant, therefore not deserving even a close fair share.

And I like classical and opera (well, the latter every now and then)!.

[BillF]

That cuts will bite is inevitable.

It's the inbuilt refusal to even acknowledge the enormous discrepancy between the use of public money for opera and classical compared with jazz that gets me. It's as if there is still this belief that jazz is really pop and therefore a) able to support itself; and b) not as 'aesthetically' significant, therefore not deserving even a close fair share.

And I like classical and opera (well, the latter every now and then)!.

You don't have to be deeply into deconstruction to be aware of the class and race implications of the abovementioned discrepancy.

[sidewinder]

I read all of this with dismay and a sense of 'deja vu'. Brings back memories of the Jazz Centre Society funding problems in the late 70s/early 80s and the shelving of the 'National Jazz Centre'. Also Ronnie Scotts on the brink of bankruptcy. Strangely enough, some of the very best evenings of music I ever saw at Scotts were during those days.

Was at UCL last week and the protesters were out for the fee hikes (the governing council voted for 9% that day - quelle surpris). I can remember the protesters out there that very same spot in 1980/81 the last time the country was a busted flush but it was reductions (or capping, I think) in local authority grants that time.

Edited March 30, 2011 by sidewinder