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Live Nation, AEG, Kili Live, Serious & SJM Support LIVE Talks UK
LIVE Talks is “a series of free online workshops and talks which focus on equality, diversity, inclusion, sustainability and wellbeing,” according to the UK trade body’s own words.
UK live entertainment powerhouses AEG, Kilimanjaro Live, Live Nation, Serious and SJM have all committed to becoming LIVE Talks committed partners, helping out with sponsoring the program, according to the umbrella organization, which stated, that “the program’s aim is to make the UK live music industry a more inclusive, enlightened and positive place in which to work.”
The program launched in June 2022, with its first workshop in partnership with Black Lives in Music on race and ethnicity language. The session saw over 200 people from across the sector join.
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Other LIVE Talks workshop partners so far icnclude Safer Dance, AFEM, Music Industry Therapist Collective, Music Support, and Saskhia Menendez.
Since then, LIVE Talks hosted a number of what it describes as “progressive organisations that have delivered insightful sessions on subjects such as misogyny & sexual harassment in the music industry, managing stress and resilience on tour, addiction & supporting recovery and Trans education & inclusion in the music industry.
“Future talks will cover mental health first aid, LGBTQIA+ allyship, the language of sustainability, gender equality across event programming, self-care peer support for backstage workers post-festival season, parents and carers in the music industry, and more,” according to a LIVE press release.
The organization aims to offer access to all sessions for free, which the committed partners will help facilitate through sponsorship. LIVE’s head of partnerships and the LIVE Talks program lead, Gaby Cartwright, commented, “We are thrilled to see the industry coming together to support this key initiative which brings much needed focus and expert insight to often complex and challenging subjects. We truly believe at LIVE that if we support our people and give them access to best in class tools and information, our industry will be a better place to work for all in the future.”
The next LIVE Talk takes place Tuesday, May 16, and revolves around “Mental Health First Aid and the Music Industry.” As part of Mental Health Awareness Week 2023, Music Support, the charity that helps those who work in music and live events affected by mental ill-health and/or addiction, will host a discussion around the importance of mental health first aid in the music industry.