Gary Mather for Live4ever
The fight continues for Music Venue Trust.
There was some good news amidst the gloom of 2020 last month when it was revealed that 89% of grassroots music venues which had applied for aid via the UK government’s Cultural Recovery Fund were successful.
Securing so many futures through to April next year was an undoubted success for the Music Venue Trust and its #saveourvenues campaign, but now attention has turned to those which remain in imminent danger of permanently closing.
To highlight the discrepancy in fortunes, a national map presenting a traffic-light system of statuses has been unveiled. To begin with, 353 are at ‘Green’ – considered safe until March 31st – with 273 at ‘Amber’ (at risk without more support) and 30 at ‘Red’, in immediate danger of closure.
“What the #saveourvenues campaign has achieved during the last 8 months is truly remarkable,” Mark Davyd, CEO of Music Venue Trust, responds.
“Thanks to the efforts of music fans, local communities and the wider music sector we have raised over £3m in donations and have unlocked over £80m in government assistance to help stave off the imminent closure of over 400 grassroots music venues.”
“We are now focusing exclusively on those 30 remaining venues which face immediate permanent closure.”
“If people want these local venues to still be there when this is over there is a very clear call to action: choose a venue, get donating, get writing, get calling, get organised.”
