THE CAMPAIGNING ISSUE
5. MERRY-GO-ROUND - Industry Announcements
RENOWNED LIVE MUSIC VENUE - THE SPITZ - FACES CLOSURE...
Popular London music venue The Spitz has been given six months notice to quit its current home in East London's Old Spitalfields Market by landlord Ballymore Properties.
Confirming recent speculation as to the future of the venue yesterday, the venue's management announced it was launching a "Save The Spitz" campaign, and is encouraging fans of the venue to do what they can in a bid to persuade their landlord to reverse their decision.
Now in its twelfth year The Spitz has established an internationally recognised reputation as London's leading independent non-mainstream music venue (and a gallery that specialises in socially aware photo journalism).
Ironically, it has just announced its strongest-ever music programme with the current sell out 'Spitz Festival of Blues' and two more festivals planned for August, one Country, the other, Folk.
The Spitz needs your help! Up until the end of September the most immediate way to offer support is by using it as much as possible - whether you book a table in the restaurant for lunch or hold a party in the gallery, or go and see a gig.
Anyone who thinks they can offer specific help to the Save The Spitz cause should contact Rupert.
The venue has also launched an online petition...
PETITION THE UK GOVERNMENT - NEW UK LEGISLATION SAYS "NO MUSIC FOR CHARITY"
There is a government move to make it very difficult for musicians to perform live in small venues, or for schools, pubs and charities to raise money for causes through musical events. The new legislation will inhibit the central role music making has in our lives and communities.
If you circulate this to your musician (and non-musician!) friends, all each person has to do is go to the government's petitions website below, give your name, e-mail and postal address - it takes about 30 seconds.
It could make a vital difference to the nurturing of community music making, thus enabling young musicians to find their feet in the performing world.
The live music/licensing e-petition now has nearly 5,700 signatures and currently stands at no.19 in the list of 1,702 petitions on the Number 10 website. There are five more months in which people can sign. But the petition needs to do much better to make an impression on ministers, and to encourage DCMS to implement music-friendly amendments.
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/licensing/
