YORK’S live music venues are set to receive a £100,000 package of support from the council as they face up to a ‘very challenging period’.

A report to City of York Council’s executive says grants from the Arts Council are diminishing and venues are still only able to open with limited audience numbers and are reliant on the live music industry returning to previous touring patterns and levels over the coming year.

It says the £100,000 would help venues to meet ongoing costs while facing a shortfall in income and help them to reopen and re-engage with audiences.

The plans, which executive members will be asked to approve next week, relate to York’s final £1.4million instalment of the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) from the government.

A spokesperson said the council unanimously passed a motion in support of “Protecting Live Music Space” in December 2019, recognising that a thriving, vibrant, diverse and responsibly managed early-evening, evening and night-time offer is a crucial part of the city’s economy.

"Although live music venues have received grant funds through the Arts Council, support is now diminishing and venues are facing a very challenging financial period, as they are still only able to open with limited audience numbers and are reliant on the live music industry returning to previous touring patterns and levels over the coming year."

Cllr Darryl Smalley, executive member for culture, said York’s live music scene was a crucial and vibrant part of the city’s cultural offer.

"We recognise the ongoing challenges venues are facing as we ease out of the national restrictions and people get used to a new ‘normal’," he said.

We are committed to working with the sector to provide support.We have some fantastic grassroots music venues on our doorstep in York. If the scheme is approved, applications will be open to individual venues, extending the support previously provided by the Arts Council through the Cultural Recovery Fund.

"Our proposals include making some funding available to York Music Venue Network to help attract people back to enjoy live music in the city.”

Chris Sherrington, of York Music Venue Network, said it was thankful for the council's 'exemplary' commitment to the sector.

“This proposal recognises the importance and continuing challenges these venues face as the sector reopens," he said. "This support will impact along the local ecosystem, benefitting artists, crew, promoters, staff and audiences across the region.

“It will allow venues to safely deliver events to help revive live music in the city bringing amazing talent and programming to these stages for all to enjoy.

"Hopefully other authorities will follow the example set by the council and engage with grassroots music venues and music venue trust to help secure a future for these cultural incubators."

Cllr Jonny Crawshaw welcomed the financial support being given to venues, which he said followed a successful Labour motion to council in 2019.

"Music Venues are such a crucial part of York’s Night-time Economy but they also offer so much more – a place for people to come together, to share experiences and be inspired," he said.

"As such, we believe they are just as important culturally as our Museums, Theatres and Cinemas. That’s why Cllr Pater Kilbane and I were so keen to support the establishment of York Music Venues Network when it was first mooted, and why we have fought so hard to protect the existing venues in the city.

"Throughout lockdown Cllr Kilbane and I have been in regular contact with venue-owners through the Network to ensure they had the support they needed and we were pleased to lend our written support to their successful funding applications to The Arts Council.

"Similarly, we have proactively reached out to developers to ensure that existing venues such as The Crescent and Kuda are protected from new development. We were particularly pleased to see North Star recently give public assurances over the future of Fibbers following months on behind-the-scenes discussions."