UK government minister encourages music venues to apply for funding

More positivity regarding UK nightlife as the culture minister has urged music venues to apply for arts funding.

Just days after the announcement of the London's Grassroots Music Venues Rescue Plan, in which a Night Mayor for the capital city is recommended, Ed Vaizey has stated music venues are worthy of receiving financial support from the Arts Council.

Speaking at the Music Venue Day conference, he said: "A vibrant music venue which is breaking new acts has just as much right to be considered a cultural venue as a local or regional theatre."

It's been a year of numerous venue closures all around the UK, including The Arches in Glasgow and Crucifix Lane and Plastic People in London, while an estimated 35 per cent of "small" and "medium" venues have shut in London since 2007.

Ministry Of Sound also endured problems last year due to a residential development being built near the club. However, London's Grassroots Music Venues Rescue Plan states that if developers decide to build next to music venues from now on, they are the ones who have to pay for sound proofing.

The shadow culture minister, Michael Dugher, backed Vaizey's stance, saying there is a "real crisis in the system".

"I do worry that there may be an element of snobbishness in how money is allocated. We are haemorrhaging small music venues - not just in London, but across the whole of the country. We really need to wake up to that and do something about it."

[ Via: BBC]