560 grassroots music venues, including 42 in Scotland, sign open letter to UK Government
42 grassroots music venues in Scotland sign the Music Venue Trust's open letter to the UK Government highlighting the need for an immediate financial support package to prevent venues closing.
Article Source: Music Venue Trust
First Published: 24 June 2020 10:34
Updated: 24 June 2020 10:34
Following Music Venue Trust’s statement on Friday of last week warning of the loss of up to 90% of grassroots music venues if funding measures are not put in place, 560 of their member venues have now signed an open letter to the UK Government highlighting the need for an immediate £50 million financial support package and a reduction of VAT on future ticket sales.
In this open letter the venues state that: “Last year there were more than 175,000 events in our venues that gave people the experiences they love and the artists the opportunities they need. Since 20 March there have been no events.
“This is because our sector has complied with the Public Health guidance. We did the right thing. We closed to protect our communities. We engaged with the government task force and we explored every option available to reopen safely and bring live music back. We understand that in order to protect the public, it should not be done until the health guidance changes and we also know that trying to do it is economic folly which would be financially ruinous; not just for us but for our entire sector.”
They argue that if the financial support package and VAT is introduced, they would: “...prevent the closure of hundreds of Grassroots Music Venues. They are the right thing to do. We are a dynamic, innovative, and inventive sector. We do not need permanent government intervention to exist. We are not asking to become a permanently subsidised drain on the public purse. We do not need the government to step in and tell us how to run our venues. We need government to take two simple steps and leave us to work out how to do the rest.”
Find out more about the Music Venue Trust here: musicvenuetrust.com and support their Crowdfunder campaign at www.crowdfunder.co.uk
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