We know that Grassroots Music and Arts Venues are a vital part of the UK music industry.

 We understand that venues:

However, Grassroots venues face significant economic challenges. The UK charity The Music Venue Trust says:

Pubs, restaurants, music venues, nightclubs, hotels and wider hospitality have reached the point where the conditions for trading are so prohibitive that many venues are already reducing the hours they open their doors. Others are confronted with the threat of permanent closure. With chronic challenges in the supply chain, labor shortages, interest rates and inflation, rocketing energy prices have become a matter of existential emergency for businesses in our sector.

The Music Venue Trust

So, why invest the time, money and effort into creating an archive?

Archives are activism!

Archives are not just dry and unimaginative records of historical events locked away where only a select few can access them. Archives can be social-media pages, websites and community projects which allow individuals to take hold of their memories and stories.

Developing an archive can:

“Recognition of their place at the heart of communities and as important cultural spaces is a key part to the security of Grassroots Music Venues. Whether it’s encouraging artists to come to a venue, proving significance to funding bodies and Government, or bringing together those who love these places it is important that venues can clearly articulate who they are, what they have done and why they matter. Developing an archive and gathering together the memories formed in these spaces provides an opportunity to reflect on the key moments of the past but more importantly to promote and shape the future. Hosting stories and creating memories is what venues do every day, but by sharing and collecting them, it’s possible to raise these spaces up and recognise the significance and key part they play in our society.”

Chris Sherrington, York Music Venue Network

Archives can take many forms and you can create an archive that is right for your venue. Take a look at those in our Music Memories Database to see what’s out there.

Creating an archive can be as involved as you like and your archive does NOT need to be labour intensive and expensive! Our Examples page gives some ideas of different ways you can go about it to suit different tastes, needs and resources.