About
I have recently moved to Liverpool (January 2022) to start as a Lecturer in Music Industries, having been a researcher and teacher at the University of Sheffield for the past few years.
I specialise in understanding audiences for arts and cultural events - especially classical music - and working closely with arts organisations to help them connect with more people. My research focuses on qualitative investigation of how and why people engage with the arts, exploring the role and value it has in their lives.
I have published papers on a number of different research projects including my PhD research on classical music audiences in collaboration with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and a range of papers on understanding audiences for traditional folk music.
Most recently, I worked with Professor Stephanie Pitts (University of Sheffield) on an extensive study of audiences for contemporary arts which featured interviews with 187 audience members of contemporary music, dance, theatre and visual art. Our co-written book about the project 'Understanding Audience Engagement in the Contemporary Arts' was published my Routledge in 2021 and a free chapter is available to download on the Routledge website.
My research interests include: audience behaviour, concert and listening experiences, classical music management, audience development, and the role of arts and culture in place-making.