Grassroots music venues have been given the first tranche of funding—£2.25m ($2.89m)— from the U.K. Government's £1.57b cultural recovery package. It will be used to save about 150 venues from insolvency.
The support for venues will be administered by Arts Council England and will target those at severe risk of insolvency. Grants of up to £80,000 will be provided to help them survive the next few months and will be used to cover essential ongoing costs including rent, utilities and maintenance.
"Music Venue Trust warmly welcomes this essential funding for desperate grassroots music venues facing urgent, short term challenges,” Beverley Whitrick of the Music Venue Trust said. “Without this help, the sector would be facing a wave of permanent closures. Throughout this crisis we have worked closely with DCMS and are delighted that the urgent need for this intervention has been recognized and responded to."
