First LIVE Trust grant making strategy published

15 October 2025 - Press release

Applications welcomed before year-end with initial grants awarded in January.

 

The LIVE Trust has published its initial grant making strategy detailing its approach to investing in programmes that benefit grassroots venues, artists, promoters, and festivals.  This paper covers the Trust’s planned activities running up to the awarding of the first grants, expected in January 2026.

The strategy builds on principles set out by LIVE when establishing the LIVE Trust and draws on input from trustees, sector bodies, policymakers, and grassroots practitioners from across the UK.  It sets out how the Trust will use the first wave of funds generated from tours building the £1 contribution into performances at venues over 5,000 capacity (increasingly the norm for qualifying shows).

In this round, the Trust will fund up to six programmes.  Funded organisations will already exist and have the ability to deliver impactful programmes as soon as possible.  We will ensure funded programmes are benefiting diverse communities across the UK and supporting grassroots music scenes across all aspects of the ecosystem.

For the avoidance of doubt, the LIVE Trust is not seeking applications from individual venues, artists, promoters, or festivals.  We are looking to work with those organisations that are best placed to understand and deliver interventions that build resilience and capacity across the grassroots.

 

Funded programmes must meet at least one of the LIVE Trust’s objectives:

• Reduce costs
• Invest in infrastructure 
• Support risk-takers
• Provide expert advice and networks
• Nurture emerging talent on and off stage

 

Kirsty McShannon, Chair of the LIVE Trust said, “I would like to thank my fellow trustees and the LIVE Trust team for their diligence and professionalism in formulating this strategy.  We want the Trust to move with speed and agility while recognising that processes must be robust and transparent.  This strategy helps us meet that objective and we look forward to assessing applications from qualifying organisations and programmes.”

LIVE CEO, Jon Collins added, “As we have stated from the outset, LIVE Trust will fund programmes that support venues, artists, promoters, and festivals - separately and in combination.  It was abundantly clear from our dialogue with stakeholders that the interconnected nature of live music means a programme will often have benefits for more than one sub-sector.  We are keen to encourage interventions that, in addition to addressing immediate pressures, will deliver long-term benefits across our four key pillars.”