Transnational Art Dialogue

The purpose of this study is to assess the degree of connectivity between the
music scenes in the province of British Columbia, Canada and the state of
Washington, United States, and specifically Vancouver, BC and Seattle, WA. A
related aspect of this research is to investigate the effect of the United States
– Canada border on the degree of connectivity between the two music scenes.
The main impetus for this research is to better understand opportunities and
challenges for independent music artists in the early stages of their career.

The following research questions operationalize this investigation:

• Does the network connecting music venues in the two cities of Vancouver, BC and Seattle, WA consist of a shared trans-border network of venues, or does it consist of two systems of venues on each side of the border?
• What is the degree of “centrality” of key venues on each side of the border to the strength of the transnational music network?
• How does the border affect artists and their careers?
• How important is the market for live performances in Vancouver, BC to bands in Seattle, WA; and vice versa, how important is the market for live performances in Seattle, WA to bands in Vancouver, BC?

This report includes the research methodology, quantitative findings from the
music network datasets and analysis, and qualitative findings from workshops
and interviews conducted with music industry stakeholders. The report
concludes with a recap of main findings and related recommendations. 

This study was prepared by Rob Calder from Secret Study, Dr. Nabil Kamel from Western Washington University and Dr. Alejandro Mercado-Celis from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana. 

Read the full report.