Current projects
Discover the wide variety of research projects taking place across the Institute of Popular Music.
Narratives of the Russia-Ukraine war in Ukrainian popular music
Dr Anna Glew, a Leverhulme Early Career researcher at the Department of Music, explores the narratives of war in Ukrainian popular music created after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Traditional African instruments and christian congregational music
Engaging with theologically diverse Christian congregations in the UK, the United States and South Africa, this research contextualises and investigates the continued lack of traditional African instrumental use within Christian contemporary music, across congregations in South Africa, or those with significant African diaspora membership in the UK and United States.
MusicFutures
MusicFutures engages 21 national and regional music sector partners to deliver a range of research, development and intellectual property initiatives and skills and training programmes that will drive music sector growth and employment and establish the Liverpool City Region as the UK’s hub for innovation in music.
Live Music Mapping 2.0
Live Music Mapping 2.0 will develop an automated system for gathering and analysing live music data to provide industry partners and policymakers with reliable, timely insights into the music sector's regional impact.
Music heritage, migration and identity
Researchers at the Institute of Popular Music work with local Chilean, Ukrainian and Yemeni communities to explore music's role in cultural heritage, intergenerational relations, and social identity.
Theory, analysis and aesthetics
IPM researchers and the Society for Music Analysis host annual summer schools and symposiums in Liverpool presenting the latest developments in popular music theory and analysis.
Bringing the night bus back
IPM researchers identified the need for post-midnight public transport to return to help revive Liverpool's nightlife. Their efforts led to the launch of the N1 Night Bus in December 2023, with impact evaluation ongoing.
IPM Heseltine reports
IPM researchers have authored three Heseltine Institute policy briefings on Liverpool’s music sector challenges and Eurovision 2023's impact, outlining data-driven policy recommendations.