“The best people to Own Our Venues are the people who love them, need them, and use them“
For the last eight years Music Venue Trust has led the campaign to protect, secure and improve Grassroots Music Venues in the U.K, supported by treasured community of music fans, artists, and crew. “The charity has grown from strength to strength and currently provides support for over 900 venues in the U.K.” MVT said, “Now we want to make the most radical change of all; We want to permanently secure a future for these venues by changing the ownership model. We believe these vital venues should belong to us. All of us that care about them, that play in them, that visit them.” adding, “We want you to join us. Let’s Own Our Venues. “
A final deadline of March 30th has been set to secure the remaining investment needed. “The deadline for the #OwnOurVenues campaign is almost here” They tweeted,“This is our FINAL week to raise the momentous £2.5 million target for the #OwnOurVenues campaign. We are ready to end the biggest threat to Grassroots Music Venues: Ownership. Are you?” later saying, “We are SO close to hitting our target, and with your help we can. Even a £5 donation makes a difference! ” Donate/ invest here: Own Our Venues – a Music crowdfunding project in United Kingdom by Music Venue Properties (crowdfunder.co.uk)
This is our FINAL week to raise the momentous £2.5 million target for the #OwnOurVenues campaign. We are ready to end the biggest threat to Grassroots Music Venues: ownership.
Are you?Invest: https://t.co/3qJQ9BT0Zg
Donate: https://t.co/dEucxqg2GR pic.twitter.com/n8RpBz61xS— Music Venue Trust (@musicvenuetrust) March 23, 2023
Tragically, over the last 20 years, 35% of Grassroots Music Venues (GMVs) have closed and 93% of GMTs are tenants and the average operator has 18 months left on their tenancy. MVT posted, “We have less than a week to hit our target for this campaign.”
On Facebook BBC Radio 6 Music DJ, Steve Lemacq said,
“I would encourage you to get involved in the Own Our Venues Campaign it’s the most direct action that we as music fans can take is to just put a little bit of money into the venues that need it at the moment. There is no point in these venues paying rent out and being beholden to landlords when WE as music fans can bowl up and say, ” We own that bit of brick and that bit of brick and some of us own the roof and EVERYTHING that goes on on that stage is partly OURS” Come and join us and #OwnOurVenues”
Fellow DJ, Nels Hylton of Radio 1’s Future alternative spoke of the essential role that Grassroots Venues play in the music ecosystem and ‘pipeline.’ All bands that now fill stadiums were once playing at Grassroots Venues. MVT posted, “The memories you can make with artists at live shows are unmeasurable. Nels Hylton reminisces about watching PVRIS at Camden Barfly (now Camden Assembly) to now watching that same band play Eventim Apollo, almost 10 years later. The ability to not only watch artists grow ,but also feel a part of that progression and community, is something so unique to Grassroots Music Venues.”
Ellie Rowsell of Mercury prize winning band, Wolf Alice, also Tweeted her support saying, “@musicvenuetrust have launched an initiative to save our beloved grassroots music venues from being shut down. The long term plan of this initiative is to take control of the freeholds of the venues so they can protect them from being turned in to flats or Costa Coffees etc“
hiii @musicvenuetrust have launched an initiative to save our beloved grassroots music venues from being shut down, the long term plan of this initiative is to take control of the freeholds of the venues so they can protect them from being turned in to flats or costa coffees etc
— ellierowsell (@elliecrowsell) March 23, 2023
She continued, “To do this they are asking anyone who can afford it to invest money to support this plan. you can invest as little as £100 but they need to reach their target before the end of next week!”
“if you know anyone who wants to be a part of this community share model that has been so effective in saving local pubs and the like (my nan’s fave pub actually still thrives today because of this) then please pass on this link!“
“This is an exciting plan that with enough people involved could help save part of Britain’s incredible music culture we are so proud of yet are watching slip away 🙁 Here is the link” https://crowdfunder.co.uk/p/own-our-venues…
The ‘Own Our Venues’ concept is built on the Community Share model that has been so successful in saving and protecting local pubs, post offices and even sports grounds, and is seeking to acquire nine venues in its first phase.
Since the launch of the ‘Own Our Venues’ initiative, hundreds of individuals, companies and organisations have already pledged their support to the project. These include high profile investors such as Ed Sheeran, Frank Turner and musician-turned-venue-owner Ben Lovett, alongside major music industry companies such as Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music among many others. Arts Council England has also confirmed a grant of £500,000 to the project, which is not included in the crowdfunded total.
£1.8m of the target total has already been secured and MVT aims to begin purchasing its first venues in April. This is an exciting opportunity for the live music community to own & protect UK Music Venues. As MVT Founder and CEO, Mark Davyd, said,
“We know that changing the ownership model of grassroots music venues is the single most important change we can make to this sector. The best people to Own Our Venues are the people who love them, need them, and use them.
We want to see everyone who has a stake in the future of these venues become a direct financial stakeholder in that future: local communities, artists, audiences, the music industry. The success of these venues is vital to the future of live music for all of us. This isn’t a time to sit on the side lines hoping someone else will do this for us, it’s down to us to make it happen.”
“Join us to make the most radical collective and collaborative positive change to the Grassroots Music Venue sector since Music Venue Trust was formed in 2014.”
Let’s #OwnOurVenues.”
Donate and find out more here: