Help Musicians UK partners with Music Venue Trust at Venues Day 2018

07 October 2018 - Press release

Help Musicians UK (HMUK) announced today that it has partnered once again with Music Venue Trust (MVT) for this year's Venues Day, which takes place on Wednesday 17 Oct at Islington Assembly, London.

The UK's leading independent music charity has teamed up with MVT for its annual Venues Day event, which has built a reputation as a pivotal national networking event for grassroots music venues. Venues Day will see MVT members congregate for a day of panels, presentations and working groups to discuss challenges for venues on themes such as wellbeing, contracts, advertising and promoters.

HMUK's partnership with MVT will see the charity offer travel bursaries to Northern Ireland delegates, specifically representatives of grass roots venues in the region who might not otherwise have the resources available to attend.

The charity's own Head of Health & Welfare Joe Hastings will also participate in a wellbeing panel to discuss the responsibilities of the venue industry in supporting the wellbeing of its own workers and artists, including a discussion on riders, alcohol and mental health support.

James Ainscough, Interim CEO of Help Musicians UK said "Venues Day serves a huge purpose in sustaining and connecting a successful grass roots venue community, so we are proud to partner with MVT once again. Through our work in mental health via our Music Minds Matter service, as well as holistic support and development for music creators, the charity will continue to invest in the wellbeing of the industry. Working together with our partners to make a difference for our beneficiaries in the music industry is a huge part of our continued commitment."

Mark Davyd, Founder and CEO of Music Venue Trust said "We are delighted to have Help Musicians UK returning as a partner for Venues Day 2018. We have serious concerns about the health and wellbeing of venue owners and staff working in this sector, with stress, financial worries and poor working conditions creating significant pressure on the sector. HMUK have launched a number of initiatives, particularly around mental health, which are important examples for our sector, and we are especially pleased to have them presenting a panel about these issues."