Music Venue Trust (MVT) has announced a new 'Traffic Light' campaign focused on securing the future of 30 grassroots venues deemed ineligible to receive funding from the government's £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.
The #savethe30 initiative will kick off a new phase of the MVT's successful #saveourvenues campaign and will highlight venues considered safe until March 31 (Green - 353 venues), those at risk of closure between now and March 31 without additional support (Amber - 273 venues) and those at imminent danger of permanent closure (Red - 30 venues).
There are also a number of venues that have either proved difficult to contact or have not responded (Blue - 187 venues).
We are now focusing exclusively on those 30 remaining venues which face immediate permanent closure
Mark Davyd, Music Venue Trust
Mark Davyd, CEO of Music Venue Trust, said, “What the #saveourvenues campaign has achieved during the last eight months is truly remarkable. Thanks to the efforts of music fans, local communities and the wider music sector we have raised over £3m in donations and have unlocked over £80m in government assistance to help stave off the imminent closure of over 400 grassroots music venues.
"We are now focusing exclusively on those 30 remaining venues which face immediate permanent closure. If people want these local venues to still be there when this is over there is a very clear call to action: choose a venue, get donating, get writing, get calling, get organised. Save them all. Reopen Every Venue Safely.”
A range of targeted activity under the #saveourvenues banner will take place based around a combined effort by audiences, local communities, local councils and the creative community. MVT is urging people to write to their local MP, council and local charities to demand action to prevent them being closed for good.
A new crowdfunding initiative is also being launched today (November 11), where people can choose an individual venue to donate to. If an individual target is reached by a particular venue the surplus donations will go towards supporting other venues in crisis.
There will also be a new range of merchandise exclusively available to support this campaign and available for delivery by Christmas.
Read Mark Davyd's recent debut Music Week column on the battle to reopen every venue safely here.
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