The first 135 venues to receive emergency grants from the UK government amid the coronavirus pandemic have been revealed.
In London, key venues such as Corsica Studios, Village Underground, The Pickle Factory, and Peckham’s CLF Art Cafe, which houses the Bussey Building and Rye Wax, have all gained access to the relief fund, with grants ranging between £1,000 and £80,000 being given out to venues based on their application.
Elsewhere around England, Manchester’s Soup Kitchen, Gorilla and The Deaf Institute feature on the list of venues, as well as Liverpool’s Jacaranda. Gorilla and The Deaf Institute were only last month saved from closure after being bought by Tokyo Industries.
In a statement, culture secretary Oliver Dowden said: "This government is here for culture and these grants today show we are determined to help our exceptional music industry weather the COVID storm and come back stronger. Grassroots music venues are where the magic starts and these emergency grants from our £1.57bn fund will ensure these music venues survive to create the Adeles and Ed Sheerans of the future."
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are managing their own emergency funding initiatives, with £188m being set aside for the arts between them.
The UK government announced its £1.57bn government culture recovery fund last month, with a planned £2.25m set aside for music venues eventually rising to £3.36m.
Music Venue Trust CEO Mark Davyd welcomed the giving out of funds, saying that it "creates a real breathing space for under-pressure venues."
Under current UK government rules, socially distanced indoor music performances are currently permitted, but many organisations and venue owners have warned that it is not financially sustainable for many spaces to hold such events. That easing of restriction was announced earlier this month, alongside harsher punishments for organisers of illegal raves amid the pandemic.
Find a full list of the venues that have been given emergency relief funds here.
