Addressing Inequalities in the Music Industry before, during, and after COVID- 19: The Campaigning Work of the UK's Independent Society of Musicians

This chapter explores the work of the UK’s Independent Society of Musicians (ISM) in tackling inequalities within the classical music industry and the wider music sector. It offers a brief outline of research into existing inequalities, before focusing on the ISM’s work to address equality and diversity through the Dignity at Work campaign. The campaign was launched in 2017 and has produced three reports that explore the prevalence of discrimination within the music sector: Dignity at Work, Dignity in Study (produced jointly with the Musicians’ Union and Equity), and Dignity at Work 2: Discrimination in the music sector. The chapter then examines the effect of the pandemic upon musicians, many of whom were self-employed and whose livelihoods were negatively affected by the measures introduced by the government to curb the spread of COVID-19; and how the ISM’s campaigning work evolved through the pandemic to include calls for improved support for musicians financially and to help them return to performing.