Nova Twins
Music Venue Trust Celebrates International Womens Day 2021
Adwaith, Nova Twins, Kerri Watt, Moxie, HAAi and Natasha Gregory become new patrons
Today (March 8th) is International Women’s Day (IWD) 2021 and UK charity the Music Venue Trust (MVT) will spend this week highlighting the incredible women and female-identifying people who work in the grassroots music sector.
Using the hashtag #WomenToTheFront, throughout the week MVT and the music venues across the country will be shining a spotlight on the women who are vital to the grassroots music community.
Sarah Claudine, Events, Projects & Communications at MVT says:-
“It’s incredibly important to Music Venue Trust to be using International Women’s Day 2021 as an opportunity to celebrate the women who play such an important role in the UK’s Grassroots Music Industry. We are very proud to have so many remarkable women contribute to MVT, from our core team and coordinators to our board of trustees and patrons and know that this diversity is reflective of the changing face of the wider live music community.”
The Music Venue Trust recently announced six new patrons, all women working in the music industry: rock duo Nova Twins, Welsh post-punk trio Adwaith, DJs Moxie and HAAi, singer-songwriter Kerri Watt, and Director of Mother Artists Live, booking agent Natasha Gregory.
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Kerri Watt said, ”When I began touring nine years ago, the industry felt to me like kind of a boys’ club. However, as the years have gone on, I’ve been proud to watch so many wonderful women step into and gain recognition in the live music sector. One of my early gigs was booked after a promoter in Glasgow saw me on YouTube - her support really gave me the courage I needed to pursue music as a career. From tour managers to merchandise sellers, venue owners to sound engineers, and members of my own band, I’ve experienced first-hand the heart and soul that the women in our industry put in to live music. I see my colleagues as role models, giving younger women the confidence to get more involved in live music and work within an industry they’re really passionate about.”
The core team of MVT are all female (aside from founder Mark Davyd), as are many venue operators. Since the pandemic forced Grassroot music venues to close their doors early in 2020 Music Venue Trust, via its #saveourvenues campaign, has helped unlock over £80m of funding from donations and government initiatives, which has seen over 400 venues secure their immediate futures. Grassroots music venues play a crucial role in the development of British music, nurturing local talent, providing a platform for artists to build their careers and develop their music and their performance skills. These venues also play a vital role in the cultural and economic vibrancy of any village, town or city.
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MVT works to gain recognition of the essential role these venues fulfil, not only for artist development but also for the cultural and music industries, the economy and local communities. The Trust also aims to preserve and improve venues, making them more efficient and improving the experience for performers and audiences. Long term, the charity plans to acquire the freeholds of as many of these venues as possible.
The Trust are keen to highlight the female staff, musicians, and team members associated with MVT, by getting them to talk about their experiences working with MVT, the challenges they have faced the past year, hopes for the future, and how they can continue to support MVT.
For more information on the Music Venue Trust click here
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