Sian Berry MP
Our creative spaces need protection
The Green Door Store , Alphabet , Rossi Bar , The Prince Albert , Hope and Ruin , The Folklore Rooms , Komedia ; if there ’ s one thing we ’ re not short of in Brighton , it ’ s incredible grassroots music venues .
Last week I was honoured to be named as one of six new patrons of the Music Venue Trust ( MVT ) alongside five people making a big impact in the music sector , including musician Kate Nash . Since being elected as an MP , I ’ ve made supporting grassroots music venues under threat a main priority of mine and I ’ ve heard first-hand from venues across Brighton about the invaluable support and advice they receive from MVT all-year round .
I recently attended the launch of MVT ’ s Annual Report in Parliament , and learned of the vital impact the charity ’ s Emergency Response Service is having . In 2024 , fewer music venues were forced to close their doors , and in disputes involving planning issues , a 97.7 % success rate was achieved .
As well as playing into my plan to befriend fellow patron Kate Nash , becoming a campaign patron means I ’ ll be backed up by MVT ’ s expertise as I continue my work in parliament to call for systemic changes that will help grassroots venues to thrive , not merely survive .
One such change I have repeatedly called for , is to put the ‘ Agent of Change ’ principle on a statutory footing . This principle , which sits in the National Planning Policy Framework , requires new developments to consider their impact on existing businesses , and in the case of building next to music venues , meet the associated cost of noise soundproofing .
In Brighton we often need to make robust use of the ‘ agent of change ’ to face down threats of noise complaints and protect grassroots venues from impactful planning decisions , but it ’ s often tough work to make sure it actually happens . Putting the principle on a statutory footing would make protecting venues significantly easier .
In November , I asked Chris Bryant , Minister of State for Creative Industries , if he is having discussions with Angela Rayner as Secretary of State for Housing , Communities and Local Government , about enacting this change . He told me she had recently met with Ed Sheeran to discuss precisely this issue , but in a subsequent meeting was unable to give me a timeline for progression . In a recent debate on creative industries in the House of Commons , I repeated my question , and I am still awaiting a promised letter with details on when this simple change might be made .
A huge part of what makes Brighton , Brighton , is not only our incredible music scene but the artists , artisans , makers , designers , and creatives who choose to work in our city . They are all reliant on the infrastructure of studios , workshops and gallery spaces to make and display their work . Worryingly , we are facing a shortage of these spaces , and those who add real creative vibrancy to Brighton are working on a knife edge as a result .
The amazing Phoenix Art Space is full of artists but in desperate need of refurbishment and room to expand . This dynamic arts organisation was established as a charity in 1995 and offers creative opportunities including 100 affordable artist studios , not to mention the programme of regular community events and free exhibitions they put on every year .
New England House is another hive of creative activity in our city which has been in operation since 1963 , with lots of businesses feeding into the independent retail sector in The Lanes and North Laine . It now faces over 1,000 fire safety issues and with the prospect of years of remedial work and disruption , or even having to leave completely while work is done , the risk to these creative businesses is very real .
There is real potential and possibility for growth in our amazing arts scene , but I worry that delays and difficulties of getting or renovating more space would stifle this opportunity .
When the Brighton Centre for Contemporary Arts closed in 2023 , director Ben Roberts stated that closure was part of a wider story of government funding cuts over 15 years . For well over a decade our creative sector has suffered from chronic underfunding and political attacks , which only served to weaken our creative institutions and industries .
The Music Venue Trust ’ s Annual Report showed that the 162,000 live music events staged by grassroots music venues , contributed
£ 526m to the UK economy . This is a vital industry , and one that must be protected . I will continue to call on this Government to do more to save these valued spaces that enrich Brighton both culturally and economically and hope to see the necessary changes made before any more treasured spaces are forced to close their doors for good .
Sian Berry MP