Ellie Roswell of indie-rockers Wolf Alice and Southbank Centre’s Bengi Unsal (pictured) have joined Music Venue Trust’s (MVT) board of trustees.
They will sit together with eight other trustees who have specialisms in charity, planning and licensing law, cultural funding, music industry, venue management and artist networking.
Roswell said: ‘Without independent, grassroots venues I'm not sure my band would be where we are today. They offered me a chance to play without knowing the first thing about how the industry worked. They bring originality, equality, opportunity, character and spunk to the cities they reside in and now more than ever is the time to fight to keep them going!’
Unsal added: ‘Having run a music venue myself, I am very aware of the crucial role the grassroots venues play in nurturing young talent in today's competitive music industry. These intimate spaces offer fans an unparalleled gig experience and provide bands an essential platform to be discovered and to grow their audiences at the early stages of their career.’
Creative United’s Sarah Thirtle becomes co-chair to the trust, alongside Chris Prosser (ILMC, IQ).
MVT was founded to protect, secure and improve the UK’s grassroots music venues, with recent initiatives including Fightback, a series of fundraising concerts, and Earn Your Stripes, offering bursaries for 50 interns to learn practical skills in grassroots venues.
Next on the agenda is national networking event Venues Day 2018, which takes place at Islington Assembly, London, on 17 October.
Bengi Unsal let us in on the songs that have soundtracked her life for the latest print edition of M magazine. Listen to her selection.
They will sit together with eight other trustees who have specialisms in charity, planning and licensing law, cultural funding, music industry, venue management and artist networking.
Roswell said: ‘Without independent, grassroots venues I'm not sure my band would be where we are today. They offered me a chance to play without knowing the first thing about how the industry worked. They bring originality, equality, opportunity, character and spunk to the cities they reside in and now more than ever is the time to fight to keep them going!’
Unsal added: ‘Having run a music venue myself, I am very aware of the crucial role the grassroots venues play in nurturing young talent in today's competitive music industry. These intimate spaces offer fans an unparalleled gig experience and provide bands an essential platform to be discovered and to grow their audiences at the early stages of their career.’
Creative United’s Sarah Thirtle becomes co-chair to the trust, alongside Chris Prosser (ILMC, IQ).
MVT was founded to protect, secure and improve the UK’s grassroots music venues, with recent initiatives including Fightback, a series of fundraising concerts, and Earn Your Stripes, offering bursaries for 50 interns to learn practical skills in grassroots venues.
Next on the agenda is national networking event Venues Day 2018, which takes place at Islington Assembly, London, on 17 October.
Bengi Unsal let us in on the songs that have soundtracked her life for the latest print edition of M magazine. Listen to her selection.
