The Music Venue Trust has launched the crowdfunding campaign #saveourvenues to help independent music venues facing closure due to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The Trust states that 556 grassroots venues are at imminent risk of permanent closure due to tight operating margins and the inability to open to custom during the lockdown.Read this next: Artists around the world are creating Coronavirus emergency funds to support loss of income during the pandemic
At statement on the #saveourvenues website reads: “The situation is dire, government support has been exhausted, and it now falls to artists, music fans, local communities and the wider industry to take action“Put bluntly, without these venues the opportunities for artists and audiences to connect in a meaningful way at a local level will simply disappear in a lot of cases. And if they go they will never come back.“Please help us to help grassroots music venues to survive this unprecedented threat to their existence.”Read this next: "Coronavirus will never stop the rave": How people are finding new ways to party online
There is a national fund, as well as venue specific funds that allow you to ‘Adopt a Venue’ and donate directly to under threat venues in your area.
Head to saveourvenues.co.uk for further details and the Crowdfunder page to donate.Patrick Hinton is Mixmag's Digital Features Editor, follow him on Twitter
Music Venue Trust launches #saveourvenues crowdfund
