Diversity & Representation · Indicator 2
Diversity in venue ownership & production
What this indicator asks
Are women, queer people and people from marginalised communities among the owners and operators of New York’s venues, spaces and production companies?
48.0/ 100 · New York
SpinnaVerse is a creative venue of about 2,100 square feet in Brooklyn. It houses the record collection of DJ Spinna, a DJ from the local scene who runs the space. It hosts SPINNAFEST, a three-day music conference.
Participants could name one Black woman booker at a large venue, and said nobody has taken that place since she left. An expert said most bookers at the major venues are white, while bar, door, security and harm reduction staff are mostly Black and BIPOC.
The expert said few people from marginalised groups own venues, and this is behind the lack of diversity in bookings and the pay gap. The expert proposed money for marginalised people who want to open their own venues, and more diverse executives in existing venues.