A step up? Access to live music venues for disabled musicians using a case study of Glasgow as UNESCO of City Music

This research will explore accessibility within Glasgow's live music industries for those who work in and utilise live music venues. Working with disabled people, supported by the Musicians Union and built on my previous research on the topic, this work will bring together current research from Disability Studies, Disability and Music Studies, and Live Music Studies to explore access to live music venues from the perspectives of musicians, audiences, venue workers, and disability interest groups.
While Glasgow is home to world-renowned live music venues (Time Out, 2014) it is estimated that a quarter of the city's population (Glasgow Disability Alliance, 2022) are disabled, with many facing challenges to access such venues due to a series of physical and non-physical barriers, influenced by current culture, society, finances, politics, and legislation. (World Health Organisation, 2011; Barr 2022)
This research positions musicians as agents of change within the live music industries, with the capacity to influence policy and practice across sites they perform, with access changes within live music venues for the betterment and diversification of the entire music live industries.