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Resources

This collection of resources is a non-exhaustive overview of studies and publications on the music sector in Europe and beyond. It will be continously updated aiming to offer a broad overview of existing research on different aspects and parts of the music sector.
By using the filter on the left you can search for specific researches, if no filter is used the publications are listed by date. If you observe that important studies/researches are missing, please contact the EMC at: info@emc-imc.org

2026

Unleashing the potential of the european live performance sector - key findings from a pearle* mobility survey

Across Europe, citizens of all ages, backgrounds and countries may enjoy live concerts, performances, or shows, with access to culture often taken for granted. But very little is known about the countless rules that apply when putting on these same concerts, performances and shows, not least in a cross-border context. Moreover, the live performance sector – encompassing live music, performing arts and event enterprises – rarely follows standardised practices, as operations are nearly always customised to fit specific needs. Following the initiatives of the European Commission on a Competitiveness Compass in January 2025, the Strategy on a Single Market in May 2025, and the presentation of a Cultural Compass in November 2025, Pearle* is pleased to present the findings of a mobility survey conducted among its members between September and December 2025.

  • Pearle* - Live Performance Europe
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2026

Reimagine International Touring - The Perform Europe Guidebook

Through its second edition, Perform Europe supported 42 projects that experimented with new approaches to cross-border touring. Their experiences – from ambitions and challenges to practical solutions – are now brought together in a new publication ‘Reimagine International Touring’, divided into volumes that address different stakeholders.

  • International network for contemporary performing arts (IETM)
  • European Festivals Association
  • European Dance Development Network
  • Circo Strada
  • Pearle* - Live Performance Europe
  • IDEA consult moving society
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2026

How music moves across Europe

Showcase festivals and talent-support programs help shape the early international pathways of emerging European artists. Events such as ESNS, Reeperbahn Festival, Tallinn Music Week and WOMEX offer chances to be seen by bookers, agents and festival programmers, while mobility schemes like European Talent Echange, Liveurope, LiveMX and Keychange create additional routes through subsidised shows, curated opportunities and professional development. ESNS, Liveurope, and Live DMA commissioned a study by SIGIC (the Slovenian Music Information Center), to determine how European countries are represented at selected European music festivals and explore the role of support programs in creating equal opportunities for artists from different European countries.

  • SIGIC -The Slovenian Music Information Centre
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2026

Between Rhetoric and Reality: Cultural Rights, Artistic Freedom, and Democratic Resilience

This report situates the performing arts within a context of democratic backsliding, social polarisation, loneliness, and distrust in institutions, arguing that theatre, dance, circus, and performance are essential democratic infrastructures rather than mere entertainment. Performing arts should be framed as a public good and a vehicle for cultural rights: they enable assembly, dialogue, critical reflection, and participation that are indispensable for democracy to exist and renew itself.

  • Performing Arts Coalition
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2026

Role of the arts and culture in addressing the health impacts of climate change: Behavioural and Cultural Insights policy brief series

Climate change is a growing public health emergency whose impacts extend beyond physical illness to mental, social and cultural well being. Technical solutions alone are insufficient: effective climate–health action also requires cultural transformation that addresses the values, behaviours and social norms driving environmental harm. This policy brief synthesizes evidence from a rapid literature review, an international expert survey and global case studies to examine how arts and culture can strengthen climate–health responses.

  • World Health Organisation
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2025

The Ultimate Cookbook for Cultural Managers The Artistic Freedom Regulatory Framework in the EU

The new edition of the EFA/Pearle* Cookbooks unravels the Artistic Freedom Regulatory Framework in the EU. Pearle* and EFA continue their fruitful collaboration with a brand-new edition of The Ultimate Cookbook for Cultural Managers on one of the most pressing issues facing the cultural sector today: artistic freedom.

  • European Festivals Association
  • Pearle* - Live Performance Europe
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