University Students Helping Build the Venues Maps

In this post, we hear the reflections of two students from the University of Liverpool who were brought in to work on collecting and verifying data on the Music Board’s digital venues map via the University’s XYZ programme. This internship offers successful applicants the chance to apply skills they have gleaned from their courses to real-life problems.

The two students from the Music Department, Martha Cook and Eleanor Lilley describe their experiences on the programme below.

For Martha, the opportunity supplemented her academic interests and

“illuminated various socio-cultural dynamics within live music venues, especially from an urban studies angle.”

“As a sociologist, I find it fascinating to see how urbanisation intertwines with the music ecosystem and social inequalities. Mapping live music venues goes beyond just the technical side; it’s a chance to reflect on how cultural spaces influence cities and how those spaces impact the people within them.”

Eleanor, at an earlier stage of her studies, reflected that she

“began the project with limited knowledge of the live music industry, especially in the field of sector mapping, but have left with a valuable understanding of the importance of this sector not only within Liverpool, but across the country.”

The experience of undertaking this mapping exercise has enabled both students to reflect on the importance of this activity for the position of the music venue.

Eleanor notes that,

“whilst working with the team, I had the opportunity to help expand the existing sector map to not only include new categorisations of music businesses, but also to multi-categorise the existing venues to add further detail including the type of music they performed and if they hosted open mic nights. It was extremely rewarding to see the new model of the Liverpool map with the research I contributed go live.”

“I also completed research compiling [Standard Industry Classification]  SIC codes for each of the different businesses represented on the full sector map. This research illustrated to me that the existing government SIC classifications are not nuanced or detailed enough to pertain to most music venues, which could lead to the economic importance of live music being overlooked. There is also the issue of many music related businesses having the wrong SIC codes and being miscategorised.”

Martha likewise noticed another key live music sector concern, namely the ongoing trend of venue closures:

“I’ve noticed that the urban landscape profoundly influences cultural spaces, including live music venues. As urban areas evolve, the geography of music follows suit, often echoing larger trends in development. Throughout my internship, I observed that these venues aren’t just dots on a map; they tell the story of Liverpool’s musical landscape.”

“This map is a visual guide of these changes over time, particularly the rapid decline of small music venues. This brings to light an important issue: live music venues are not merely spaces for entertainment; they reflect the city’s economic and cultural priorities. One of the most striking aspects of the interactive map was how it highlighted patterns of social inequality within the live music scene. Analysing the data showed that access to live music venues is often unequal, live music scene is divided by who can access it; ticket prices, location, and access to public transport are significant barriers. Thanks to this research, the work put into bringing back the night bus is a positive initiative to reduce these barriers.”

“Gentrification, economic inequality, and access to resources play out cities’ choices about which venues are supported, and which are left behind. For instance, if Liverpool prioritises building large corporate venues, it will exclude smaller, independent venues vital for community access to live music. The interactive map showed which neighbourhoods were creating alternative spaces and which were becoming more commercial. This analysis highlighted how important cultural spaces are for keeping diversity in the city.”

“Reflecting on my internship, I realise that mapping live music venues is more than just an academic exercise; it’s a window into cities’ broader social and cultural dynamics. The research provided insights into how urbanisation shapes the music ecosystem, but it also revealed the complex layers of social inequality that define the live music industry. This internship deepened my understanding of these issues and reinforced the importance of using research to advocate for more equitable cultural spaces. Music venues are not just places for entertainment; they show what the city values.”

Eleanor also observed this problem and drew attention to how having this data can inform policymakers, and how the project is expanding beyond the Liverpool City Region:

“Whilst auditing the venues on the map, the plight of live music venues was further illustrated due to the sad closure of some live venues in the LCR. The work the mapping team do is essential for ensuring the future of many live venues in Liverpool and understanding the ecosystem, and I feel proud to have worked on a project that does so much good for the live music industry.”

“I also had the privilege of working with the Lancashire mapping project in their initial stages, to map venues and create a working model of the map to be presented at the Lancashire Music Summit. Completing work on a project at a completely different stage to the existing Liverpool Map was illuminating and introduced me to the different types of businesses involved in the live music sector whilst collating their information. It also showed the nuances of music scenes across the UK. I now understand the importance and real-life impact of projects such as these in maintaining funding and support for the live music sector and hope to work on similar projects in the future!”

We thank both Eleanor and Martha for their excellent work on the mapping project and wish them both success in their further studies and careers.