Manchester venues The Deaf Institute and Gorilla have been saved from permanent closure.
As Manchester Evening News reports, the venues have been bought by Tokyo Industries, a company that also owns a number of other bars and clubs in Manchester such as Impossible, The Factory and South. Staff of both venues will keep their jobs as part of the terms agreed between the company and the venues’ current owners Mission Mars.
"These are extremely difficult times for all grassroots music venues around the UK," Aaron Mellor, founder of Tokyo Industries, said. "It’s vital venues like Gorilla and The Deaf Institute are kept alive, the cultural fabric of our city centres depends on venues like these."
Mellor said that event promoter SSD Concerts and The Charlatans’ frontman Tim Burgess had both been involved in plans to save the venues, and had been working alongside Tokyo Industries to ensure that they can return to their previous operating style pre-COVID-19.
Mission Mars and Tokyo Industries said in a joint statement that the venues will operate "in much the same way as they have done in the past."
The deal between the two companies was made over the weekend, and they say that the legal process to make the transfer of ownership official is ‘well underway’.
"It’s really great news for our teams and the music loving people of Manchester that both venues have found such a perfect new home, Roy Ellis, CEO of Mission Mars, said. "The bad news announcement last week regarding the closure plans galvanised an unprecedented level of interest from passionate operators from across the region and even beyond.
"I’m extremely grateful that we’ve been able to find a new and appropriate new home for these amazing venues and people."
Mission Mars announced its intention to close The Deaf Institute and Gorilla last week, citing the financial hit of the coronavirus pandemic as the reason for the closures.
