Music Venue Trust Scotland – Last week we attended Music Venue Trust’s Scottish Venues Meeting for an informative inspiring day hosted by Mark Davyd and Beverley Whitrick learning about their crucial work in our sector. We champion live music in all our venues and left the meeting so encouraged by what we learned.
Music Venue Trust (MVT) is a UK registered charity which acts to protect, secure and improve Grassroots Music Venues.
Created in January 2014, they aim to secure the long-term future of iconic Grassroots Music Venues such as The Mash House, La-Belle Angele, Stramash, Whistle Binkies, Sneaky Pete’s, King Tut’s etc.
These venues have played a crucial role in the development of British music over the last 40 years, nurturing local talent, providing a platform for artists to build their careers and develop their music and their performance skills. The small music venue circuit is the breeding ground of British Music. It’s where musicians learn their craft, what works, what doesn’t, it’s where they build the fan bases that take them to the labels that export them across the world. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the small venue circuit is the foundation stone of UK Live Music, a multi-million pound industry employing hundreds of thousands of people across the world, all starting from that first faltering step onto a tiny stage. We have to act together to ensure UK musicians and music fans continue to have access to this essential part of UK music heritage. The Music Venue Trust has an achievable plan which we hope everybody; audiences, musicians and industry, will get behind and support.
MVT work to gain recognition of the essential role these venues fulfil, not only for artist development but also for the cultural and music industries, the economy and local communities. They aim to preserve and improve venues, making them more efficient and improving the experience for performers and audiences. Long-term we plan to acquire the freeholds of as many of these vital venues as possible.
It is imperative that Grassroots Music Venues thrive in big cities and regional areas across the UK, for artists and fans alike so please support them by enjoying the shows they host!
