Black Lives in Music are launching a survey of Black musicians' experience in the UK

Black Lives in Music have launched a survey for Black musicians to answer questions about their experience of living and working as a musician in the UK.

Though they work primarily in jazz and classical music, all Black musicians working in any genre are encouraged to fill out the survey.

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Currently, there is no data on what it is like to live and work as a Black musician in the UK. With this survey, Black Lives in Music are aiming to not only produce that data, the first of its kind, but also use it to instigate real change with respect to the lack of opportunities for and barriers experienced by Black musicians.

Black Lives in Music also this week launched a new five-part video series, ‘A Celebration of Black Music’. Hosted by presenter Zeze Millz, the series will feature interviews with various guests, including Sons of Kemet band leader Shabaka Hutchings, music psychologist and researcher Natasha Hendry and Sheku Kanneh-Mason who won the BBC Young Musician Award in 2016 and who performed at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

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The first episode is available to view now, and features composer, singer, songwriter and cellist Ayanna Witter Johnson and 2018’s Young Jazz Musician winner Xhosa Cole.

Black Lives in Music was launched just last month as a way to address the structural imbalance that adversely affects Black musicians in the music industry.

Watch the first episode of ‘A Celebration of Black Music’ below, and take the survey here.

Jemima Skala is Mixmag’s Weekend Editor. Follow her on Twitter