North East launches £2.2m fund to save grassroots venues

What's the deal? North East Mayor Kim McGuinness has launched a £2.2m Small Venues Fund to support grassroots creative spaces across the region. Grants will range from £3,000 to £100,000 over three years, targeting venues with a capacity of up to 300 seated or around 500 standing.

How it works: Funds can be used for equipment, infrastructure upgrades, or to strengthen revenue-generating activities. Applications open in the autumn, with £800,000 in grants available in the first year.

Why now? Rising costs are squeezing small venues across the region, and some are being forced to close.

Ben Humphrey from The Straw Yard in Berwick upon Tweed warned closures are already taking a toll. "It is hard for venues right now; rising prices means some venues are being forced to close and they can't rely on audiences to sustain their operations," he said.

What's the endgame? McGuinness said the fund is about protecting the spaces where artists start out. "I want to see them thriving and that's exactly what this fund is about," she said, describing venues as "places where artists perform for the first time."

The scheme was developed with the region's creative sector, including input from talent agency GeneratorDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. Newcastle comedian Lauren Pattison, who welcomed the launch, called small stages "a crucial creative stepping stone" and "a launchpad for careers."

The signal: Grassroots venues are increasingly seen as essential infrastructure for the creative economy, not just cultural extras. Generator chief executive officer Mick Ross called them "the RD department of our creative industries," arguing that without such spaces, "there will be fewer opportunities for people from every background to build careers on stage and behind the scenes."

Read more: The Northern Echo

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