The Music Venue Trust (MVT) has hailed the release of the first round of funding from the government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund as a "huge step forward" in its efforts to reopen every venue safely.
A total of £68.7 million of the £257.4m made available in the first round of the scheme (for applications of up to £1m) was shared among 393 music-specific organisations. More than 1,300 arts and cultural organisations have received funding in all.
Successful applicants include Ministry Of Sound (£975,468), Rough Trade Retail (£138,599), Brudenell Social Club in Leeds (£220,429), Paradigm Agency (£967,679), DHP Family (£908,004), Liverpool's Cavern Club (£525,000), London's Bush Hall (£679,603), 229 The Venue (£471,680), The Roundhouse Trust (£775,000), Hackney Empire (£585,064), Hootananny Brixton (£250,000), Village Underground (£398,000) Islington Assembly Hall (£235,564), Clapham Grand (£300,000), The 100 Club (£491,486) and Camden's Electric Ballroom (£206,974), Manchester's Gorilla (£255,500) and Deaf Institute (£148,000), promoters Crosstown Concerts (£212,950) and Eat Your Own Ears (£99,066), Portsmouth Guildhall (£215,000) and The Wedgewood Rooms (£147,372) and Sound City (£75,000).
Support has also been granted for Hebden Bridge Trades Club (£61,723), End Of The Road Festival (£250,000), Exeter Cavern (£50,000), Leeds-based Futuresound Events (£219,368), Generator North East (£145,736), IMG Artists (£100,000), Independent Label Market (£50,784), Inner City Music (£211,200), Liz Hobbs Group (£150,000), Lost Village (£250,000), Love Supreme Festival (£118,524), SSD Music (£700,000) and The George Tavern (£222,030), among others.
This intervention today helps enormously
Mark Davyd, Music Venue Trust
Music Week can reveal that with 90% of results now in, 89% of applications from the grassroots sector have been successful so far. MVT CEO Mark Davyd said the work of DCMS and Arts Council England in creating and delivering the fund had been "extraordinary".
"We want to recognise the efforts of the government, particularly the Secretary of State and the Chancellor, to understand what was required by grassroots music venues, develop a solution, and make it happen," he said.
"MVT, through the hard work, passion and dedication of our regional coordinators, has worked closely with our grassroots music venue community to ensure a clear and coordinated approach to this crisis. We are proud of the resilience, strength and solidarity shown by everyone involved.
"This intervention today helps enormously, giving MVT our sector and our communities, an achievable opportunity to complete the English section of the jigsaw. We keenly await results from funding applications in Wales, and of round two of this fund. Our work with the governments of Scotland and Northern Ireland will continue to seek further support for venues there. Our immediate focus now will be to work with every venue that was ineligible for funding, and any venue that was unsuccessful in their application to this fund, to ensure that at the end of this crisis communities right across the country have a thriving and healthy live music scene to return to."
The MVT had previously issued an urgent warning to the UK government that the entire grassroots live music sector is now at “red alert status”.
In addition there were grants for Brighton Dome (£493,000), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (£996,702), Royal Liverpool Philharmonic (£748,000), London Philharmonic Orchestra (£650,000) and London Symphony Orchestra (£846,000), Manchester Jazz Festival (£64,968), Metropolis Music (£231,942), McKeown Events (£185,289), Metropolis Music (£231,942), Middlesbrough Town Hall (£200,997), Slam Dunk (£175,981), Sound Diplomacy (£125,000) and St George's Bristol (£564,916).
Culture secretary Oliver Dowden said: “The government is here for culture and we have worked around the clock to get this funding to arts organisations. It will give many of our wonderful theatres, museums, art groups and cultural venues a helping hand to get them back on their feet. This money will get to work right across the country to save these places and protect jobs and hundreds of millions pounds is on the way for cultural organisations of all sizes that still need our help.”
Also benefiting are Mission Mars (£1,000,000), Motion Events (£275,458), Music Venues (£623,000), NASS Festival (£585,000), Neil O'Brien Entertainment (£130,000), Nozstock Festival (£70,000), Out Of Nowhere (£250,000), Parr Tree Studios (£63,000), Philharmonia (£967,413), Phoenix Cultural Centre (£135,330), Propaganda Promotions (£249,857), Ramsgate Music Hall (£78,201), Reprezent (£230,000), Resident Advisor (£750,000), Rhythmtree Festival (£138,000), DMF Music (£55,000), Camden Assembly (£250,000), Serious Events (£229,723), Sister Midnight Records (£51,036), Small Pond Recordings (£89,350), Studio Spaces (£500,000), The Boileroom (£70,000), The Columbo Group (£150,000), The Green Door Store (£219,543), The Lexington (£180,090), Sheffield Leadmill (£241,571), The Louisiana, Bristol (£137,476), The Warehouse Project (£343,000), Wigmore Hall Trust (£1,000,000), University of Manchester Students' Union (£247,780) and Y Not Festival (£240,000).
Sir Nicholas Serota, chair, Arts Council England, said: “Theatres, museums, galleries, dance companies and music venues bring joy to people and life to our cities, towns and villages. This is a difficult time for us all, but this first round of funding from the Culture Recovery Fund will help sustain hundreds of cultural spaces and organisations that are loved and admired by local communities and international audiences. Further funding will be announced later in the month and we are working hard to support creative organisations and individuals during these challenging times.”
