Live music venues contribute significantly to our community by bringing people together and celebrating the music of people from all backgrounds and ages. Furthermore, they create jobs and help strengthen local economies.
I am committed to supporting grassroots music venues, which play a crucial role in the UK's world-leading music sector, and are key to developing the future talent pipeline.
The Government is providing an additional £5 million to Arts Council England’s successful Supporting Grassroots Live Music fund, as announced in the Creative Industries Sector Vision in June 2023. This fund will enable venues to increase support for young, emerging and more diverse artists, improve equipment and physical infrastructure, and support venues to become more financially resilient and develop new income streams.
This is in addition to other support provided to the live music sector, including over £3 million during the pandemic from the Emergency Grassroots Music Venues Fund, and through Arts Council England’s Supporting Grassroots Live Music fund since 2019.
More broadly, I will continue to support live music venues in Derbyshire Dales and the wider arts sector.
