Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what funding his Department has allocated to support the sustainability of independent music venues in rural communities.

Independent music venues are a vital part of the UK’s music live music ecosystem which contributes around £1bn a year to our economy. (1)

Arts Council England is providing grant funding over four years to a range of National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs). Some of these NPOs are based in rural locations and programme live music including:

• Pocklington Arts Centre (East Riding of Yorkshire)
• Ropery Hall (Barton on the Humber)
• Queens Hall (Hexham)

Rural music venues can also benefit from Arts Council NPO and Project Grant funding as receiving houses for touring work and festival performances.

1. UK live music attendance and music tourism in 2017 (UK Music).