Max SteventonA new initiative launching this autumn is set to address the longstanding underrepresentation of South Asian professionals in UK live music production and technical roles.
Live Labs is delivered by Lila, an organisation supporting the South Asian music community, in partnership with event production agency Continental Drifts. It will recruit 12 South Asian creatives aged 18–30 into paid production placements across grassroots music venues in London between September and November 2026.
Live Labs is based on Continental Drifts’ established Festival Lab model, which has spent more than a decade placing Global Majority producers into paid roles at major UK festivals including Glastonbury, Notting Hill Carnival and Boomtown.
The programme responds directly to findings from South Asian Soundcheck, a research initiative which highlighted the near absence of South Asian professionals working backstage in production and technical positions across the UK live music sector.
The new placements aim to provide hands-on industry experience within grassroots venues, with organisers also seeking participation from venue operators and promoters running live events in London during the placement period.
Venues hosting shows between September and November this year are being encouraged to take part, with the goal of creating structured entry points into the live music industry for emerging South Asian talent.
Organisers describe the initiative as a practical response to persistent barriers to entry in production careers, particularly within the UK’s grassroots music ecosystem, where access to paid training and backstage opportunities has remained limited for many underrepresented groups.