Mar 13, 2021
In this After Corona episode, we’re returning to look at the music industry, which has had an incredibly tumultuous year, and building on our past conversations with Norman Cook, Amy Lamé and Fiona Bevan who all referred to the work of the man you are about to hear. Mark Davyd is the founder and CEO of Music Venue Trust, the charity that represents hundreds of small and medium-sized venues in the UK. He is the co-owner of Tunbridge Wells Forum, a venue he founded in a toilet over 20 years ago and was the former CEO of Rhythmix, for two decades the multi-award winning music and mental health organisation that worked with young people in challenging circumstances. Mark’s past commercial music career has also seen him work as an artist manager, label owner and promoter. There is very little about the music industry that is not understood by my guest this episode. Mark, and the Music Venues Trust, have been hailed as heroes by many in the UK for running some very hard-hitting campaigns that put small and medium pubs and gig venues at the forefront of cultural recovery funding. Veteran radio DJ Steve Lamacq is just one of the voices calling for Mark Davyd and his team to receive an official honour - because since March 2020, an estimated £1.2million has been raised, preventing 556 music venues from having to close. We spoke to Mark shortly before Christmas 2020 - about the campaign and the forensic approach by the Music Venues Trust, and what elements of their approach worked and why, what more is to be done, and whether the music industry will be scarred forever by the near death experience of so many of its grassroots venues. Useful links: http://musicvenuetrust.com/ https://saveourvenues.co.uk/ https://www.musicweek.com/opinion/read/viewpoint-mark-davyd-on-the-battle-to-reopen-every-venue-safely/081590 https://www.nme.com/news/music/steve-lamacq-calls-for-music-venue-trust-boss-mark-davyd-to-get-a-knighthood-2750953 — For more information on how you can get involved with The Possibility Club – an inclusive community of professionals working out what’s next, have a look here > www.thepossibilityclub.org You can also receive Finding Chances, a free weekly letter from Richard Freeman, looking behind-the-scenes at business, culture, community and education by signing-up at www.findingchances.substack.com/ We’d love to know what you think of this podcast. Please review and share your responses to this podcast on your favourite podcast platform.