Relief for music venues as Government Cultural Recovery Fund announcements revealed

Venues across the region have been announcing news of whether applications have been successful.
Some of venues which will receive funding.Some of venues which will receive funding.
Some of venues which will receive funding.

Music venues across the region will receive money from the Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund to help them avoid the immediate threat of closure because of the coronavirus.

The Roadmender, The Lab, The Picturedrome and Escape Venue all in Northampton, Esquires in Bedford and the MK Gallery and Craufurd Arms in Milton Keynes have today revealed they will receive support.

Venues across the region had been eagerly awaiting today’s announcement after it was delayed earlier this month.

The Roadmender will receive support from the Cultural Recovery Fund.The Roadmender will receive support from the Cultural Recovery Fund.
The Roadmender will receive support from the Cultural Recovery Fund.

Natalie Norris from the Roadmender said: “We are thrilled, delighted and very relieved to hear we have received funding after being closed for over seven months and after many sleepless nights.

“The money we have been awarded will ensure the Roadmender is safe for another six months and we can continue to be here for you and #HereForCulture.”

The funding is part of the £1.57bn recovery package announced earlier this year and designed to help save venues from insolvency.

Many music venues across the country remain closed because of Government restrictions on live performances.

The Picturedrome will receive support from the Cultural Recovery Fund.The Picturedrome will receive support from the Cultural Recovery Fund.
The Picturedrome will receive support from the Cultural Recovery Fund.

Those who have opted to work within the guidelines and bring performances back to their stages have had to drastically cut capacities in order to adhere to social distancing regulations.

Esquires owner Gareth Barber said: “We are extremely excited and relieved to announce that Esquires have been awarded a grant.

“Having been shut for seven months, this funding was make or break for the long term future of the venue and many sleepless nights and anxious days have finally felt worthwhile.

“Waiting for the announcement today almost felt like it was the most important day in Esquires' history and with these funds we believe that we will now be able to secure the future of our staff and your independent music venue.”

The Lab will receive support from the Cultural Recovery Fund.The Lab will receive support from the Cultural Recovery Fund.
The Lab will receive support from the Cultural Recovery Fund.

All venues thanked the Music Venue Trust which has been working with the sector to support them and highlight their plight.

Sadly, MK11 in Milton Keynes announced it was not successful with its application.

The Music Venue Trust welcomed the release of the first round of funding from the Government.

It has been working with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and Arts Council England since March to ensure the needs of grassroots music venues are fully understood.

Esquires will receive support from the Cultural Recovery Fund.Esquires will receive support from the Cultural Recovery Fund.
Esquires will receive support from the Cultural Recovery Fund.

In a statement, Chief Executive Mark Dayvd said: “Saving our grassroots venue sector requires a massive jigsaw puzzle of efforts, from the smallest local fundraiser by a community desperate to keep its cherished local venue, to the enormous scope of the Government's Culture Recovery Fund, one of the largest such funds in the world.

“Music Venue Trust, 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 our sector and our communities, an achievable opportunity to complete the English section of the jigsaw.

“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.

“Our continued mission remains to reopen every venue safely, an aim that with this support from the Government we are confident is now achievable.”

For more details, visit about the https://www.artscouncil.org.uk and http://musicvenuetrust.com

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