Arts Council England has announced a new fund for grassroots live music venues that are at imminent risk of permanent closure. The Emergency Grassroots Music Venues Fund is open for applications until 3 August and aims to ensure the survival of venues that were financially stable prior to the pandemic.

The fund is open to venues in England including pubs, clubs, cafes, nightclubs, multi-disciplinary arts centres and community halls with a significant live music programme focusing on grassroots music in any genre. £2.25 million has been dedicated to the fund and applicants can apply for funding ranging from £1,000 up to £80,000, to cover operational costs incurred between 4 August and 30 September 2020.

Darren Henley, Chief Executive for Arts Council England, said: 

Grassroots live music venues perform a vital role in England’s music ecology. As well as nurturing the next generation of talent across a huge range of musical genres, these are the places that spark that special connection between audiences and professional musicians.

The Emergency Grassroots Music Venues Fund comes after music venue organisation Music Venue Trust set up the Save Our Venues campaign in May, a crowdfunding project with the aim of providing financial support to over five hundred music venues across the UK.

For more information on the Emergency Grassroots Music Venues Fund, visit www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/emergency-grassroots-music-venues-fund