Music Venue Trust announces first grassroot venue recipients of new grant scheme

The Music Venue Trust (MVT) has announced the recipients of a recent grant scheme for small venues, offering them funding of up to £5,000.

• READ MORE: With Nambucca closing and The Leadmill under threat, campaigners call for venues to own their buildings

The Pipeline Investment Fund was first announced in October to help venues with “small scale capital applications” including the purchasing of lighting and sound equipment and logistical alterations to their venue, as well as staff training and the diversification of workforces.

According to the MVT, 11 grassroots music venues have now received almost £40,000 in total for a range of lighting, sound and associated equipment purchases, air conditioning units, and building work. These venues include the Servant Jazz Quarters in London, Alexander’s Live in Chester, The Louisiana in Bristol, Retro in Manchester and Venue38 in Ayr.

Mark Dayvd, Founder and CEO of Music Venue Trust said: “The Pipeline Investment Fund is proof of what a huge difference relatively small amounts of money can make to local Grassroots Music Venues.

“Music Venue Trust is investing this money directly into facilities for artists and for local music communities improving venues for everyone. We’d like to see every stadium and arena show in the country making a small contribution to this fund. Every headline artist should be able to know with confidence that when they reach the top of our industry the impact of their success ripples back to directly support the venues and communities where the launched their career.

“MVT has created the mechanism to make that possible, we need the music industry to come together and make it happen.”

MVT says that it’s actively seeking further donations, particularly from the wider music industry, to maintain and expand the Pipeline Investment Fund and make it a permanent source of support for grassroots music venues. Donations can be made here.

Meanwhile, Tom Grennan was announced recently as one of the MVT’s new patrons after he was praised for his efforts to keep tour ticket prices low, dismissing all VIP and platinum ticket options from his own headline 2023 UK arena tour.

This year, MVT also launched its ‘Own Our Venues’ campaign aimed at providing ownership to grassroots music venues across the country.

The scheme, which was backed recently by Ed Sheeran, aims to secure the long-term futures of these venues by directly tackling the issue of ownership. The scheme has been likened to “The National Trust, but for venues”.

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