About the Music Venues Sub-Group

The LCR Music Board Venues Sub Group, is a collaboration of Music Board members and individuals from across the region who represent or are involved with one or more local music venue.

The sub-group aims to strengthen connections and communication between venue owners and promoters throughout the city region, while establishing effective ways of working together for the benefit of venues, related organisations, their staff, artists and punters.

This group aligns with the music board priority of ‘Ensuring a sustainable and strong network of venues and to work with local authorities across the city region to introduce and implement the Agent of Change principle’ and is currently chaired by Louise Nulty, manager of The Studio in Widnes.

Other voluntary sub-group members include Mat Flynn University of Liverpool Music Industry Lecturer, Saad Shaffi of 24 Kitchen Street, Ian Thomas from the British Arts Council, Andy Dockerty of Adlib and ‘We Make Events’, Craig Pennington from Birkenhead’s Future Yard, Mike Walsh the UK head of Strategic Partnerships at Serenade; and they are supported by Sarah Lovell from Liverpool Combined Authority and Kevin McManus and Cathy Skelly from Liverpool City Council.

The venues sub group has already hosted industry events in the region, including the ‘Keeping LCR music venues on the map’ event at the Philharmonic Hall Music Room; and they have played a vital role in the ‘Let the Music Play’ roadshow of events, taking part in each of the six LCR boroughs.

A key project managed by the sub-group is the digital mapping project, led by Mat Flynn and research students at the University of Liverpool.

Mat said: “The recent forthright of Eurovision festivities has shown the world Liverpool’s love for live music. The LCR Music Board’s music venues map identifies over 400 places and spaces where residents and visitors go to enjoy gigs and shows every week of the year. These venues are the foundation of the LCR’s music economy, and our aim is to continue to develop the map to better understand, inform and represent the sector.”

Reacting to insight from venue owners and gig-goers across the city region, the sub-group has also dedicated time to creating a proposal and lobbying for the reintroduction of a Night Bus, which will improve access to and from venues in several of the LCR boroughs. We look forward to revealing more about this project shortly.