Rescue Plan for London’s Grassroots Music Venues Making progress 2 Support organisations to make a workforce. There is a vast range of greater impact for their staff, our opportunities too, from partnering communities, the next generation on one of our programmes, to and London as a whole. forming a relationship supporting a small charity, or encouraging One of our aims is to help your staff to volunteer and use young people on their path to their skills at one of the 1,200 employment. Volunteering can charities we work with. Indeed, help develop the skills, confidence whatever your CSR objectives, and experiences they need to Team London is here to help. succeed at work. In partnership with the CIPD and Step Up to London, Volunteering, Charities Serve, we are asking businesses and Sponsorship to commit to recognising this when they recruit young people. Copyright So, this is a rallying call to London businessesGreater London to Authority get involved with TeamJanuary London. 2017 It is not just a good Greaterthing to London do. It Authoritywill also benefit both yourCity Hall, present The Queen’s and future Walk More London London SE1 2AA london.gov.uk enquiries 020 7983 4100 minicom 020 7983 4458 Written and researched by The Greater London Authority, Music Venue Trust, Nordicity, Sound Diplomacy With thanks to The London Music Board The Mayor of London’s Night Time Commission Cover Image: Blood Orange at KOKO, Camden ©Carolina Faruolo 3 Contents Introduction from the Mayor 4 Executive summary 6 Definition of a grassroots music venue 8 London’s grassroots music 10 venues in numbers Map of London’s grassroots 13 music venues Putting the Rescue Plan for London’s 19 Grassroots Music Venues into practice Our partners 28 4 Introduction from the Mayor This report is a major step to rebuilding London’s live music scene. I believe music is vital for our city. That’s why I’ve appointed London’s first Night Czar. I’ve also committed to using the Agent of Change principle to protect music venues, clubs and pubs. Sixteen months have passed since the Rescue Plan for London’s Grassroots Music Venues was published. This report offers an update on progress, plus new facts and figures. I hope it gives you the arguments, evidence and inspiration you need to support London’s grassroots venues. They add to the vibrancy of our city. Developers and planners now recognise how important music venues are to local communities. New research also shows just how much grassroots venues bring to London’s economy. In this report, you’ll find a new map from the Music Venue Trust. It shows the tide is turning. Fewer grassroots music venues closed in 2016 than any year since 2007. For every closure a new venue opened. Gig and club going remains a hugely popular activity, and not just in big arenas like The O2. 5 Every night, nearly 14,000 people families get free music lessons go to a gig in a grassroots music through the Mayor’s Music Fund. venue in London. Omeara has We support London’s Music opened at London Bridge and Education Hubs which teach over the Sound Lounge will launch 180,000 young Londoners every soon in Tooting. I’m delighted too year. Busk In London also helps that Fabric has reopened and am musicians to develop their talent optimistic for 2017. But we can’t and earn a living in music. rest on our laurels. Music helps make London a The success of the music dynamic city. Our music scene is industry depends on flourishing second to none and shows the grassroots music venues. These world that #LondonIsOpen to are the places where stars make talent. I look forward to working their names. Whether it was Elvis with planners, developers, Costello at the Half Moon, KT licensing teams and the music Tunstall at the 12 Bar or Elf Kid industry to future-proof our music at the CLF Art Café, London’s infrastructure. By working with grassroots venues have always boroughs and artists we can also been the places to find new talent. support and showcase the breadth of music across London. Our figures show that London’s grassroots venues bring £92m to Finally, I’d like to thank the London the economy every year. £44m Music Board, music industry, of that is spent developing and councils, media and this city’s showcasing new musical talent. many music lovers. Your efforts This is the single biggest spend to protect music in London are on upcoming talent in the music paying off. industry. By taking a risk on new Let’s now make London the artists, these venues play a vital world’s best music city. part in an industry that is now worth £4.1bn in the UK. At City Hall, we work to support grassroots music talent. For example, hundreds of young Sadiq Khan musicians from low income Mayor of London 6 Executive Summary The Rescue Plan for London’s 2. Development Grassroots Music Venues made We have brought developers, six recommendations to stem councils and the music industry the tide of closures and help together in a working group to new venues open. They covered: look at how to reverse the 35 planning; development; business per cent loss of music venues. rates; licensing, policing and Developers are key to the solution. environmental health; promotion There is a clear commitment to of venues; and music tourism. tackle this issue and create new Here’s how we’ve been doing venues. Now several potential so far. music venues are in development across London. If just a few of 1. Planning these reach fruition, it will be Mayor Sadiq Khan has pledged a major boost to London’s live to introduce the Agent of Change music infrastructure. principle in the next London Plan. The draft London Plan will be 3. Business Rates published for consultation this The government is reviewing autumn. We are working closely business rates. They are likely with the London Music Board to increase for many businesses and Night Time Commission to in the coming months. This is of develop it. New Supplementary concern to businesses across Planning Guidance for the London. It could put a number of night time economy will also grassroots music venues at risk, be published later in the year. especially those in the centre. Our research shows grassroots In April 2016 the Government music venues bring £92m to introduced the Agent of London’s economy every year. Change principle into Permitted They also support 2,260 jobs. Development Rights (an area On average, each venue spends of planning law that allows some £500,000 on developing development without requiring and showcasing new and planning permission). This is a emerging talent. major step that shows the value of live music venues not just in London’s grassroots venues London but across the country. pay around £2.8m in business rates each year. If business rates 7 were cut it would be a big boost the UK. He also extended the work to venues. It would allow them of the Night Time Commission to invest in upgrading outdated and appointed Philip Kolvin QC as infrastructure. It would mean they Chair. Music is at the heart of a could give customers a better city’s night time culture. Both Amy experience. Finally, it could help and Philip will work to ensure that stabilise their businesses. music venues play a central role as We’re now looking at the costs London becomes a 24-hour city. and benefits of a business Another recommendation of rates discount for London’s the rescue plan was to create a grassroots venues and will London Music Board. This was set report later this year. up in April 2016. It brings together 4. Licensing, Environmental representatives from the music Health and Policing industry, government, tourism, The Mayor wants to encourage culture and education. The board stronger partnership working oversees how the rescue plan will between businesses, councils and be put into practice. It also aims police licensing teams. This will to ensure that all Londoners can help to identify problems at an benefit from living in one of the earlier stage and allow solutions world’s greatest music cities. The to be put in place. It should board is chaired by the Night Czar. reduce the need for enforcement 6. Tourism action and the closure of venues. We need to do more to promote The Chair of the Night Time London’s venues and music Commission and the Night Czar heritage. Initial research shows that will work with boroughs, the police gig listings for grassroots music and the industry to promote more venues are patchy. Buying tickets joined-up working. often requires knowledge of the 5. Promotion music scene that many tourists The Rescue Plan for London’s don’t have. Research shows that Grassroots Music Venues tourists are looking for authentic recommended the city should experiences and venues off-the- have a Night Czar. In November beaten track. London and Partners the Mayor appointed Amy Lamé as and the London Music Board London’s Night Czar - the first in are exploring new music tourism schemes to address this issue. 8 Definition of a grassroots music venue The Music Venue Trust It programmes artists that deserve defines the cultural and social to be heard by audiences. This is importance of a grassroots done with no expectation of music venue by testing its direct financial reward. This loss- reputation, role and activity making activity benefits the UK against six criteria.