The Catch-22 of Censorship in the UK Drill Scene
27 Apr 2021
Hosted by BIMM alumnus Punit Kavia, we’ll discuss how music and culture intertwine in our three-part series of online webinar discussions.
This webinar explores how music censorship in Britain has become an oppressive regime that creates a catch-22 by preventing artists (particularly drill rappers) from legally breaking out of the poverty cycle.
We will explore the controversial culture surrounding drill and the plans to ban drill music in the UK in 2019.
Our degrees courses all feature modules that focus on the cultural impact of music. These discussions will give you an idea of some of the areas that you might touch upon if you choose to study with us.
Our Guests
Punit Kavia
Punit Kavia is a 22-year-old music journalist, producer, and teacher. Having graduated in 2019, Punit has written numerous pieces for BIMM exploring race, identity, and UK music cultures – in particular grime, jungle, and drill.
His first project explored how grime music made him question his identity and his next looked at how music and large-scale socio-political movements go hand in hand. Most recently, however, Punit explored UK music censorship regarding UK drill and the catch-22 created by potentially banning the genre.
Dr. Jennifer Otter Bickerdike
Dr. Jennifer Otter Bickerdike is a media and music author, specialising in fan culture, music and music heritage. She has written and presented extensively on fandom and media, using her experience as a former American music industry and Silicon Valley executive to explore a range of societal issues and behaviours. Jen‘s last project, the #1 charting Why Vinyl Matters, is a manifesto about the importance of vinyl as a cultural object, and features interviews with a variety of fans, including Henry Rollins and Fatboy Slim. Jen’s newest book, You Are Beautiful and You are Alone: The Biography of Nico will be released on Faber & Faber / Hachette in 2021. Jen is the editor for Bunnyman, the forthcoming autobiography by Will Sergeant, founder of the iconic Echo and the Bunnymen, coming out on Hachette / Third Man in October. Jen will be launching her podcast, Songs That Saved Your Life in April 2021, with guests as varied as John Waters, Johnny Marr and Stephen King already signed up to feature. She is also the Global Music Ambassador at BIMM Institute, the #1 music college in the UK and Europe.
Book your place
Date: Tuesday 27th April 2021
Time: 6:00pm – 7:20pm
This event will take place on Zoom. If you’d like to book a place, please complete the form below and we will send a registration link prior to the event.