UoA 34 – Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management

Student Pulse: taking classical music to a younger audience

Classical music audiences in the UK typically reflect a narrow demographic, that is older, white,
and middle-class. This is an audience that has been in decline, largely due to the sector’s
inability to connect with a younger market. For this artform, university students constitute ‘a
prime future market segment’, especially if reached through a medium they are comfortable with,
such as mobile applications (apps). Working collaboratively with the London Symphony
Orchestra (LSO) and the software developer Kodime Ltd., Salford’s research team led on the
creation, testing and rollout of a new ticketing and audience engagement platform called Student
Pulse. This was aimed at generating a new and younger audience for classical music in the UK
and is now used by nine of the UK’s leading classical music orchestras and venues, with nearly
2,500 active users, delivering approximately 11,000 ticket sales, for over 200 concerts annually.
This has directly enhanced the vitality and sustainability of an important cultural form, increased
the economic prosperity of the orchestras and venues, brought in a younger, more ethnically
diverse audience and improved existing business practices, with associated cost and efficiency
savings.

Using social media to improve practice in maternity care and chronic kidney disease

Limited NHS resources require innovative approaches to healthcare. Research at Salford has
led to the development of two digital interventions that respond to this environment and each
one has been especially valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Facemums is the world’s first
professionally moderated social media platform to meet the information and support needs of
pregnant women. The Kidney Information Network (KIN) is an award-winning digital platform that
provides chronic kidney disease patients with the advice and assistance required to manage
their condition. In both cases, the platforms improved users’ understanding and awareness
about their health, facilitated greater self-management of their health and wellbeing and
enhanced overall health and wellbeing outcomes. Additional benefits include changes to
professional attitudes, skill sets and service delivery, enabling NHS Trusts to effectively adapt
the models and increase support provision in response to the pandemic.