MVT writes open letter to government following closure surge
Following the recent surge in venue closures, Mark Davyd, CEO of the Music Venue Trust (MVT), has written a letter to the UK government calling for legislative protection.
In a recent interview, Davyd explained that the issue with small venue closures is worsening, with more than one grassroots venue closing in the UK every week on average. The state of affairs is “as dire as it can be,” he told the NME.
The MVT’s letter to Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt calls for the government to extend business rate relief for its member businesses following the closure of 78 venues over the last 12 months, with many set to follow in the near future.
“Between us finishing our report on Friday at 5pm and coming back at 10am on Monday morning, two more venues closed,” Davyd continued, referring to Jimmy’s in Liverpool and The Brass in Hastings, which both announced closure last week.
He added: “Our report shows that we’ve gone from 960 venues in October of last year to 835 that are actually operating. That’s 125 less and a 15.7 per cent decline. Venues haven’t just closed down, but some of them have also given up putting on live music. The only way that they could afford to survive was to stop putting on live music and start selling pizzas.
“On top of that, there is the current relief of 75 per cent off business rates. That’s due to end on March 31, which means that venues will go back to paying the business rates they were paying in 2018. Without a doubt, that will see the sector collapse because there is no way that they can afford to pay it. That’s £15million in extra costs.”
Davyd also noted that as well as foreboding a falling pillar in the music industry, 125 venue closures would equate to a loss of 4,000 jobs, 14,250 events, 193,230 performance opportunities, £9million of musician income and £59million of economic activity.
The issue depends on action from within the industry, too, which can often appear successful when organisers congratulate the success of large arenas and stadium venues. “There’s going to have to be movement from the industry itself, too,” Davyd appealed. “They can’t just sit around making oceans of money and declaring this to be the greatest year ever for live music, all while venues are closing down every day.”
Read more about the fight for grassroots venues and learn how to help here.
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