With the Music Venue Trust (MVT) projecting 10% of grassroots venues closing in the near future, the Swansea Music Venues Working Group (SMVWG) is petitioning to improve late-night transport in the city and surrounding areas to encourage punters to attend more live music with greater convenience of being able to travel home afterwards. The petition appeals to the Senedd Cymru (Welsh Government) and has, at the time of writing, over 5,000 signatures and must reach 10,000 signatures by 7 May 2024 to be considered for debate in the Senedd.
Coming hot off the heels of the SMVWG’s event The Swansea Arena House Party, the petition much like the fundraiser is dedicated to the cause. The House Party raised an impressive £10,000 which will now be invested back into venues in the Swansea region. Meeting the ever-growing challenge head on the SMVWG, chaired by Lisa Mart, the group aims to maintain music communities, foster support from venue to venue, encourage the sharing of staff and provide critical equipment loans.
“Change has started to happen,” began Mart. “Active participation from all stakeholders is what’s needed – those individuals in a position to make change standing at the frontlines and engaging in the diverse, wider arts scene in the city to impact their decision making.”
When discussing the petition, Mart enthused its importance: “Swansea has one of the most exciting and vibrant grassroots music scenes in the UK,” she commented. “In our discussions with the other venues, it’s been highlighted that a major issue blocking audience development for the venues and the artists themselves is the lack of reliable means to get to and from shows.”
Swansea Arena had its official opening in the spring of 2022 and has been making tracks in the Welsh city, “We have an Arena that has supported our music scene tenfold and wants to help local promoters, local venues and local people,” enthused Jordan McGuire, Operations Director at The Bunkhouse. “You only have to look around the team at Swansea Arena to see this, the whole team has been employed and come from grassroots music and arts, and it shows with their dedication.”
A collective nature surrounding Swansea’s music scene is prominent, but the petition aims transform the scene as it stands, Mart told: “People want to attend an event and enjoy it fully, with peace of mind that they can enjoy everything on offer within the city without additional costs and what this petition aims to do is create a safe, affordable way audiences can do that.”
With the petition running until 7 May 2023, the campaign needs another 5,000 signatures to be relevant for debate to get involved you can sign the petition Here.
