History
The LCA was set up in April 2020 at what was a time of crisis to represent and lobby for the whole comedy sector. The organisation fought for recognition and emergency funding from the Government, gathering comprehensive data on the sector and meeting civil servants, politicians and Ministers across the UK in pursuit of this goal.
The organisation was initially called the Society of British Live Comedy and on 24th April 2020 the first online meeting was set up by Brid Kirby, Owen Donovan and Charlie Perkins. A list of the first members of the Director panel can be seen below*. The organisation was quickly renamed the Live Comedy Association and launched on 15th May 2020.
The LCA ran two hugely successful #SaveLiveComedy campaigns: the first to gain public support for the sector and increase the weight of lobbying; the second to provide emergency grants to performers and freelancers. And for the first time, because of the #SaveLiveComedy campaign, comedy was explicitly included in a list of art forms supported by public arts funding distributed by Arts Council England — the Cultural Recovery Fund resulted in millions of pounds being distributed to comedy clubs and venues, promoters, festivals, production companies, and other organisations. The campaign also had an impact in Scotland and Wales, and considerable funding was distributed to the comedy sector in these countries.
Watch an interview with the founding Chair & Vice Chair of the LCA here (February 2021)
On 9th July 2021 the first Live Comedy Sector survey was published by the LCA.
The LCA was initially set up with a single purpose — to respond to a crisis — and after the immediate crisis of the pandemic passed, the organisation struggled to adapt to a broader focus. In addition, as the UK emerged from the worst of the pandemic, the limitations of the LCA became clear. An organisation without funding or other income, entirely dependent on volunteer work both for leadership and day-to-day operations, is not a sustainable structure.
The leadership of the LCA spent much of 2021/22 working to address these issues but were not able to resolve them within the constraints of the organisation’s budget. Many involved in the LCA made vast contributions — both with their time and their finances — and were unable to contribute further. In February 2023 there was an industry panel discussion, held as part of Leicester Comedy Festival. In February 2023 Jessica Toomey and David Elphick became co-Chairs of the LCA.
*Founder members of Director panel:
Chair - Brid Kirby
Vice-Chair - Owen Donovan
Representation & Inclusion - Saima Ferdows
England (North & West) - Adam Rushton
England (South & East) - Pope Lonergan
London - Dec Munro
Wales - Henry Widdicombe
Scotland - Katy Koren
TV/Broadcast - Kate Daughton
Comics - Tez Ilyas
Comedy Clubs - Jessica Toomey
Arts & Tour Venues - Pax Lowey
Live Production Companies & Producers - Kitty Edgar
Gig Promoters - David Elphick
Operations Crew - Jenny Kassner
Festivals - Geoff Rowe
Agents - Hannah Martin
Publicists - Gaby Jerrard
Northern Ireland – vacant