13 UK grassroots music venues have been removed from the Music Venue Trust’s #SaveOurVenues Crisis list meaning they have escaped imminent closure.
The Crisis Red List was established in November 2020 to monitor those venues most at risk of closure due to the Coronavirus pandemic and therefore in urgent need of the government’s Cultural Recovery Fund.
Last year this list included 30 grassroots music venues threatened with imminent closure. However, 13 venues have now escaped the red list including Rossi Bar in Brighton, The Railway Inn in Winchester, and Plot 22 in Sheffield.
“MVT’s Red List Campaign has been a real lifeline in difficult times, providing us with a credible collective platform to raise much-needed funds alongside other vulnerable venues and organisations all around the country…It gives us stability for the present and hope for the future.”
Creative Director at Sheffield’s Plot 22, Mike Thompson, said,
Such venues are crucial to the development of British music culture by providing a platform for local talent to mark their career and progress into the music industry.
The revenue that these grassroots music venues bring to towns and cities is crucial to local sustenance and tourism and is an element of the music industry that we cannot afford to lose.
Mark Davyd, CEO of Music Venue Trust said, “Music Venue Trust is committed to reopening every venue safely and we are going to carry on working through this crisis until that outcome is achieved.”
The Music Venue Trust is committed to reviewing all of its grassroots music venues and allocating their status according to their traffic light system.
“The love shown for these venues continues to demonstrate how important they are to people and to our towns and cities.”
Mark David, CEO of Music Venue Trust
Exclusive merchandise is now available to support this campaign with all money being directly sent to struggling venues across the country.
£1,750,000 has already been donated since November and is continually on the increase.
For more information on how to donate, follow this link.
Words by Maddy Raine.