Independent Venue Week Announce New Initiative Independent Venue Community
Tuesday, 19 July 2022
Written by Jon Stickler
The founders of Independent Venue Week have announced a new grassroots initiative called Independent Venue Community.
Supported by Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, Arts Council Wales, the Welsh Government, and Youth Music, the nationwide project aims to make venues across the UK more inclusive by offering daytime programmes of music-based activities.
To help attract new audiences, grassroots venues will link with charities and outside organisations to tackle six distinct areas: Early Years, Young People, the Deaf, Disabled and Neurodivergent, Mental Health and Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Older Years. Head here for more information. Independent Venue Community founder, Sybill Bell said:
"Independent venues are the absolute heart of the music business, from small villages, to towns and cities, all around the country. What’s less appreciated, however, is the role they can play as community spaces, where local people can express themselves, try new things or simply come together in person. From first-hand experience, with initiatives like The Warren Youth Project in Hull or our own Soundcheck Sessions and BE, activity like this can have genuinely life-changing outcomes for people, especially those who don’t normally get access to these kinds of opportunities.
"Our goal with Independent Venue Community is to harness these individual pockets of brilliance, and to inspire more venues to engage with groups and individuals in their area. Ultimately, we want to build a national network of engaged local communities, and encourage more music venues to throw their doors open in the day. By doing this, I believe they can increase and diversify the people coming through their doors and unlock significant hidden value and talent. It’s a win-win situation."
The venture will launch later today (July 19) at London's Lafayette venue, with the event streaming online below. Venues already involved include The Boileroom in Guildford, The Smokehouse in Ipswich, and The Tivoli in Buckley, North Wales.
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
