The U.K.’s latest round of COVID-19-related moves does little, if anything, to support nightlife businesses, a move the Music Venue Trust has labeled “absurd.”
Health and Care Minister Helen Whateley told Sky News, “it doesn’t make sense to continue supporting jobs where there simply isn’t work at the moment.” The latest government rescue plan helps employed workers for next six months, but venue employees still unemployed are being shut out.
In a lengthy response, Music Venue Trust CEO Mark Dayvd wrote, “Grassroots music venues have faced a tough couple of decades. For the first time in 20 years, thanks to a combined effort by the sector itself, national government, local government, the music industry, local communities and Music Venue Trust, 2019 was the first time since 2000 that the year finished with more trading grassroots music venues than it started.
“To describe grassroots music venues, after all that effort and work by multiple agencies across several years, as inherently unviable businesses and the people who work in them as occupying inherently unviable jobs is, frankly, absurd.”
