Ben Reid, a regular attendee of Cobalt Studios, completed a unique fundraiser for the grassroots venue located in Newcastle. Reid travelled 148 miles from his hometown of Manchester to Newcastle on a children’s bike to raise awareness of the crisis faced by grassroots music venues, especially during the pandemic. Taking the scenic route through rural Yorkshire, the journey took Reid four days, culminating at Cobalt Studios, a non-profit family-run venue hosting live music, educational events, and club nights.
Throughout his journey, Reid shared regular updates on the venue’s Instagram page and highlighted the significance of grassroots spaces. His fundraiser is intended to bring attention to the Music Venue Trust’s report on grassroots live music venues’ most challenging year.
“Running Cobalt has never been particularly easy but currently year on year its gets harder and harder,” says Kate Hodgkinson, founder and creative director of Cobalt Studios. The current cost of living crisis, combined with the pandemic’s impact and the rising cost of everything, is a daily challenge. Hodgkinson and her co-director are unable to take a salary, so they work day jobs before Cobalt’s responsibilities, which often feels untenable.
“I’m doing this for Cobalt because it’s given me a lot in the last three years, and I wanted other people who come to uni here in the future to be able to experience the same things that I have,” explains Reid. He wanted to help when he heard about how delicate Cobalt Studios’s finances were and that it has much to offer culturally. Reid hopes that his fundraiser will demonstrate how challenging it is to keep venues like Cobalt Studios open and encourage more people to donate to the cause.
The crowdfunder is still open for last-minute donations, with proceeds going entirely to Cobalt Studios to help fund its programs and stay open. You can donate on their JustGiving page. Grassroots venues like Cobalt Studios provide education opportunities, promote diversity, inclusion, and belonging, and offer positive mental health, learning, and connection. Capitalism leaves no room for these projects to thrive, and it is essential to protect them across the UK
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