Music Venue Trust calls on government for financial support
The Music Venue Trust and hundreds of grassroots venues have written to the government demanding financial support
Last updated 24th Jun 2020
The Music Venue Trust has written an open letter to the government, calling for more help to prevent many of Britain's institutions from going under. Over 550 independent venues have signed the document so far.
The open letter asks for an immediate £50 million financial support package, as well as a reduction in VAT on future ticket sales, something already offered by several European nations.
The trust says that only 13% of UK grassroots music venues could realistically open with social distancing in place.
In response to the UK government announcing an easing of restrictions yesterday (23rd June 2020), which included the introduction of a "1 metre-plus" rule in England, live performances are still not able to go ahead.
As part of the open letter, the Music Venue Trust wrote, "Our Grassroots Music Venues are the fundamental foundations and cornerstone on which our world beating £5.2 billion per year music industry has been built for the last 60 years."
You can read the full letter below:
Throughout the pandemic, the Music Venue Trust has been a central in raising funds and raising awareness about the overwhelming pressure that venues are facing. In response to this, they launched initiatives such as the #SaveOurVenues campaign - which you can find more about here.
As a station, we are passionate about supporting the music community. As part of this, we have produced a guide to the ways in which we can all continue to support the industry which we cherish and love, as well as providing information to help artists and those within the industry. You can read it here. our guide to the ways in which we can all continue to support the industry which we cherish and love, as well as providing information to help artists and those within the industry.