Campaign group Save Our Scene organised six pop-up events across the UK on Sunday, attended by 5,000 people, to call on the government to provide further support for cultural sectors. The events took place in Bristol, Brighton, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds and London as part of the Culture Calling movement, which is also urging a reduction in VAT rates to 12.5% for the hospitality and cultural sectors within the government’s upcoming budget announcement on 22 November. Pop-up events included live music performances in Brighton and Edinburgh.
Over 100 of the UK’s independent nightclubs have closed in the past 12 months while 30% of clubs have closed between June 2020 and June 2023 according to a recent report by CGA Nielsen. Additionally, 10% of grassroots venues are expected to close by 2023, according to Music Venue Trust. Fighters for cultural protection such as Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) and Sacha Lord, founder of Manchester’s Warehouse Project and Parklife Festival, are among those supporting the Culture Calling campaign.
“We hosted Culture Calling as a campaign to raise awareness of the accelerating collapse of cultural spaces across the country,” said George Fleming, founder of Save Our Scene. “With the sharp rise in operating costs, we’re seeing a huge amount of closures across the sector.” The campaign has seen 3,500 emails sent to MPs to garner support for the sector.
“This is not just about protecting artists & venues, it’s also about protecting our right to be free and human. The UK Government needs to urgently recognise that this precious sector is on red alert,” said Fleming. A recent Mixmag report explored the effects of the cost of living crisis on nightclubs and promoters.
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