Are there parts of the Oxford music scene that are thriving? If yes, what can we learn from them
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This group was just a duo.

Like Oxford, central Paris has lost several music venues not because of property development but due to noise regulations that are strictly enforced. Gigs are limited by it having become a necessity to play only acoustically. Result, club owners deciding to close

We noted that in Oxford some long standing promotions/promoters who lost their city centre venues (Wheatsheaf, Cellar) have continued apparently with some success, and are putting on gigs which seem to be well attended

The Spin (jazz)-most gigs are reported as selling out. Jazz has always been good as survival.

Bossaphonik (global dance)

Gappy Tooth Industries

Klub Kakoffaney

They have found out-of-centre ( and cheaper?)venues, some of which have not been regular venues before on the Oxford music scene

They have taken ( a few or some or the majority? of) their crowd with them ( brand loyalty/trust in the promoter ?) and/or new people have been coming

Also it might be that promoting “niche” music is a factor.

Examples of apparent success or at least keeping afloat prompted the heretical question of whether the Oxford music scene no longer needs a city centre venue ? It should not be assumed that such a venue is needed, the arguments for a medium sized venue need to be made.

In the city centre the New Theatre and the Playhouse aren't really part the Oxford music scene. There's the occasional gig at The Old Fire Station, ( it's the regular venue for Oxford Improvisers). Jericho has the Jericho Tavern and St Barnabus Church, while St Michael on the North Gate church on Cornmarket in addition to the regular Monday lunchtime music has been used for evening acoustic gigs in the past

Generally city centre venues are University and College and classical music dominated with the occasional exception e.g. Stornoway gigging at the Sheldonian, folk and singer songwriters at the Holywell.

(In case it's useful here's an off-the -top-of the -head list of college venues of varying size . Added at the time of writing with no guarantee that's it is complete . Holywell Music Room as I think it belongs to Wadham (tbc) St Johns auditorium, de Jager auditorium Trinity, JdP Music Building St Hilda's, Pichette auditorium Pembroke, Shulman auditorium Queens , Magdalen College auditorium, T.S. Elliot theatre Merton., plus several college chapels that are used for music events ) Also the University Church and the Denis Arnold Hall at the Music Faculty plus we believe the Maths building has been used as a concert venue.

Is the Town music scene attempting to break into the University and Colleges wasted energy, a case of banging one's head against a brick wall.?
Could the town music community approach the University and Colleges about putting on gigs in vacations when their auditoriums/auditoria are not being used ? For the colleges it could be another income generation stream, so win win as they say.

The new performance space which will be part of the new arts building of the university will be it is said be open to the community (where is it going to be? When is it going to open?). What this means in practice might only start to become apparent when the new building does opens. Could it be an opportunity for the Town music scene.

At this point we ran out of steam and dispersed to participate in other groups

Colin May