The Windmill, Brixton’s unique music venue, has received £10,000 from the Music Venue Trust (MVT) to help it stay alive in the pandemic.
It is one of 24 venues nationally to receive help from the charity after being put on its “red list” of those in danger of imminent and permanent closure.
MVT represents hundreds of grassroots music venues across the UK. Since the pandemic forced venues to close their doors, MVT, through its #saveourvenues campaign, has helped to unlock more than £80m of funding from donations and government initiatives.
This has seen more than 400 venues secure their futures until 31 March next year.
MVT itself has already distributed over £650,000 from its national fund, raised from audience and individual donations, corporate pledges and contributions from the wider music industry.
A small number of venues were unable to access sufficient funding and were added to its red list.
MVT said today (18 December) that it has now taken “decisive action” to help save these venues by distributing a further £230k of funding to the 24 most in need of assistance.
MVT CEO Mark Dayvd said: “We have received incredible support from audiences, artists, individual donors, companies who have made financial contributions and from the wider music sector.
“As a result, we are able to make a distribution of £230k of emergency funding to stave off the immediate threat of closure and provide a firm footing for survival. around the country.
“It has been truly overwhelming and humbling to see how much grassroots music venues matter to so many people.”
Beverley Whitrick, The MVT’s strategic director, said: “In 2020, at the height of this crisis, Music Venue Trust made a commitment to try to Reopen Every Venue Safely. With continued support from everyone, we are determined to make that ambition a reality in 2021.”
