MVT Sows Seeds for Live Venues

The Music Venues Trust (MVT) has announced a programme to support venues, including a Grassroots investor scheme following the publication of a report into the future of grassroots music venues in the UK.

The research for the ‘Understanding Small Music Venues’ report was conducted by the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance and based on feedback from over 120 small and medium-sized venues. You can read it here.

The report essentially highlights the threats posed by regulation, licensing, public perception and the changing urban environment, while offering solutions on how to safeguard such venues. It follows the formation of a taskforce set up by the Mayor of London.

MVT's Strategic Director Beverley Whitrick said: "We see the publication of this report as the key moment when the music industry, cultural sector, government and brands can seize the opportunity to listen to and learn from venues, artists and audiences enabling them to respond constructively and strategically to give them the calibre of venues the UK needs”.

The grassroots investor programme aims to create a central agency to represent grassroots venues at a national level to offer support and to then put direct investment from sponsors into grassroots venues- Jack Daniels have already confirmed their involvement as a sponsor of the programme,  all they need to do is produce acringeworthy advertising campaign featuring a cowboy, an oak smoked barrel and ‘Jack’ himself watching some emerging talent in a small music venue.