Black Lives In Music, led by CEO Charisse Beaumont and managing director Roger Wilson, has been commissioned by the Greater London Authority (GLA), Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) and The Musicians’ Union to research the impact of policies and interactions with the police, councils, venues and promoters on Black, Asian and ethnically diverse music events.
The research is in response to repeated concerns from the industry that artists and promoters are disproportionately impacted by police and council licensing decisions, and the findings will be used by the Race Equality in Music Event Licensing (REMEL) project to develop data-led information to address inequalities and create a more transparent and equitable licensing model for live music.
It will also be used by REMEL to work with partners including MPS as part of their London Race Action Plan, councils and the music business, and BLIM has announced that they will also work with councils and industry partners, as well as the Met, to take action.
REMEL is chaired by London’s Night Czar Amy Lamé in partnership with Black Lives In Music, The Musicians’ Union, LIVE (the sector body for the live music industry), UK Music, the GLA, London Licensing Managers Forum, the MPS, MOPAC, plus artists, promoters and a representative of the security industry. It was established last year after Black Lives In Music and The Musicians’ Union wrote to the Mayor to raise their concerns about barriers in the industry.
