20% of UK-based young people say they have never experienced live music
Findings from Mastercard's Manchester Legends youth outreach study also revealed that 55% of 14 to 21-year-olds were unsure how to pursue a career in music
One in five young people in the UK claim they have never experienced live music, a new study from Mastercard has found.
Speaking to young people about their relationship with music in the UK, the study was conducted as part of Mastercard's Manchester Legends youth outreach programme ahead of this year's BRIT Awards, which will be held at the Co-Op Live Arena next Friday (February 27).
20% of 14 to 21-year-olds surveyed reported never having attended a live music gig, a figure that rose to 23% in Manchester, demonstrating a stark gap in access to music for young people.
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55% of respondents said they were unsure how they could pursue a career in music, 65% of which said this was due to insufficient access for those from low-income backgrounds, while 45% believed it was due to a lack of opportunities in education, and for 43%, a scarcity in provisions within their region.
Mastercard hopes its Manchester Legends programme will help alleviate some of the barriers facing young people in music, including issues provided by respondents to the survey such as a lack of confidence in skills, the cost of lessons and equipment, and not knowing where to start.
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As part of the programme, Manchester's DJ Paulette spoke to students at Stretford High School on how to carve out a career in music. “Manchester has always been such an important city for music, and being part of these sessions with Mastercard has been really special," says DJ Paulette.
"One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to differentiate between the nos, not all of them actually mean no," she continues. "Sometimes it’s not now, not tonight, not this week. That doesn’t mean stop.
"It’s important that young people don’t pigeonhole themselves into what they think is possible either. The creative industries aren’t one straight path, there are so many ways in. Stay curious, back yourself and keep going”.
Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on X