Christopher BarrettSome of England’s best-known grassroots music venues, including the 100 Club (cap, 350) in London and Liverpool’s The Cavern Club (250), together with an array of independent festivals, will benefit from a share of the £257 million Cultural Recovery Fund announced today, 12 October.
Among the festivals to receive grants are the 25,000-capacity Y-Not Festival, which will receive £240,000, the 10,000-capacity Deer Shed Festival (£238,500), 20,000-capacity Cropredy Festival (£200,000), the 15,000-capacity End of the Road Festival (£250,000), and the Lost Village Festival (cap, 5,000) which will receive £250,000.
Manchester-based Mission Mars, which operates the Albert Hall (2,200), Gorilla (600),and The Deaf Institute (260) venues is to be awarded £1m from the Arts Council England administered fund.
The Cavern Club will receive £525,000, the 100 Club £491,000 and the Brudenell Social Club (400) in Leeds £220,429.
Among the other venues whose applications to receive funding have been successful are London’s 1,250-capacity The Clapham Grand (pictured), which was awarded £300,000, Bush Hall (425) £679,000, Brighton’s Concorde2 (600) £228,000, and the Boileroom (275) in Guildford £70,000.
They are among the 1,385 arts and cultural organisations across England to be awarded funding as part of the government initiative. The £257m fund is for organisations who applied for less than £1m. Those who applied for between £1m and £3m await the results of their applications.
Music Venues Trust (MVT) strategic director Beverley Whitrick said: “There are some iconic grassroots venues that are getting good results, the 100 Club and Bush Hall are among those to have been awarded substantial figures that should secure these venues.”
MVT CEO Mark Davyd said he believes 90% of the music venues that applied for funding were successful.
Clapham Grand manager Ally Wolf said he was incredibly happy the venue had been given a lifeline: “The Grand plays a huge part in London’s hospitality ecosystem with over 400 events a year and over 100,000 customers. We employ up to 60 people including freelancers, who look to The Grand to make a living and be part of an inspiring, mutually supportive community. We, like other venues across the country, also play an important role in the pipeline for new UK talent.”
Culture secretary Oliver Dowden said: “This funding is a vital boost for the theatres, music venues, museums and cultural organisations that form the soul of our nation. It will protect these special places, save jobs and help the culture sector’s recovery.”
A full list of grant recipients is available here.