Independent Venues Week: Funding announced to music venues across Wales

The Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Dawn Bowden has announced during Independent Venues Week that £718,000 has been offered to 17 Grass Roots Music Venues across Wales, from the Creative Wales Music Capital Fund.

The well-known and much-loved Porters in Cardiff is just one of 17 venues to benefit from the fund which has helped with the recent development and move.

“A perfect storm”

Dan Porter, said: “I cannot overstate how difficult it is for Grassroots venues at the moment- everything is against us in a perfect storm.

“There is no doubt in my mind that without support like this we would have found it impossible to continue, and artists and audiences would have lost another venue.

“We thank everyone behind this fund for their vision and in helping us to not only to carry on what we started in 2012, but for giving us a foundation to develop and build a future from.”

Funding has also helped with making their new venue more accessible for disabled customers.

Dan, continued: “All of our gigs have always been free entry, and now with the improved accessibility that this fund has allowed us to put in place, truly all barriers to entry have been removed.”

Step Change

The Deputy Minister, said: “The Music Capital Fund has encouraged a step change in the music industry. Improved facilities will add to the range of use of venues, attract better artists and increase audience numbers. All of which will have an immediate economic benefit to music businesses, their supply chains, and the industry as a whole.

“Despite the challenging economic climate, we’ve also seen a number of new venues opening in Wales over the past 12 months. I wish Dan and the team at Porters well in their new venue.””

The Welsh Government is providing a fifth successive year of support for retail, leisure and hospitality businesses with their rates bills, at a cost of £78m. This builds on the almost £1bn of support provided in rates relief schemes to these sectors since 2020-21. A new £20m capital fund will also be developed for 2024/25 to provide support to help retail, leisure and hospitality businesses future-proof their businesses.

This latest funding takes Creative Wales’ total support for music venues and businesses to more than £9.6 million since 2020.