Save The Polar Bear

In July we received the news that The Polar Bear would be closing its doors.

The parent company had gone into administration, and as such the venue would be put out to pasture.

Ever since we heard the news we have being working together to secure the future of The Polar Bear.

That's why we're here. We need your support to help save the Polar Bear!

Who Are We?

We are the same people who ran the venue; everyone associated with this project has worked pretty much their entire working life in one of Hull's iconic venues. Mark Hall, the man responsible for the success of The Welly, Fruit and Lamp, and for the elevation of The Polar Bear from pub to venue, is heading up the team.

We have Daniel Mawer, promoter not just for the venues but also for the Humber Street Sesh festival, and the person who is actually responsible for keeping the weekly Sesh running.

We've Paul Sargeson, music teacher, technician, chronically grumpy and ridiculously talented, involved. Rose Lavery, the woman who, for the past decade, has ran the social media pages and ticketing side of things, is onboard.

Finally we have Jonnie Mason, the venue manager of the Polar Bear on board. This is primarily because he knows where all the light switches are.

These people have teamed up to save the Polar Bear because they have a vision of the venue that was unfortunately constrained and suffocated by previous properties. There is a genuine passion and love for The Polar Bear as it is, but even more so for what these people want it to become.

What Do We Want?

We want to run The Polar Bear for the people of Hull. We don't want to send our revenue down south to have it wasted on inflated salaries or ridiculous rent. We want to be able to use the space and equipment we have to elevate local musicians, we don't want to be told that a band practice will cause 'capital depreciation'.

We want rid of the corporate talk, we want The Polar Bear to become a CIC.

A CIC is a type of company which exists to benefit the local community and social causes. It is in stark contrast to a Public Company (whether it be PLC, LLC etc) which exists to make a profit for its shareholders/owners.

What Would a CIC Polar Bear Do?

In April of this year an hour long presentation was given which bemoaned the current operating practices of the Polar Bear, its wasted potential and how short term profit driven motivations were harming the longevity of the venue itself. We all believe that The Polar Bear was not, and never will be, just a revenue stream; it means more to the people who work there, and it means more to the people who drink and play there.

In short, The Polar Bear would provide the local community with a high quality venue that exists to encourage the local scene; no matter what that scene is.

No rental fees for local bookers just trying to dip their toes into the music scene. No hidden fees for local artists who want a venue to launch their new EP from. No obfuscation or hidden intentions.

Rooms that were previously used to store the debris of a national company are now empty and free; we want these empty rooms to be used by the community. Workshops, practice rooms, writers labs; whatever the people need space for, we will provide it. A true cultural and community hub.

Non-partisan involvement in the local scene; without any obligations to make a profit we only need to worry about breaking even (which we did last year, despite all the 'extra' costs). This means no weird politics, no fiscal competition for other venues; just cooperation.

We will finally be able to diversify; for too long we were pushed to focus on what we did well and what was profitable. That thing was of course opening our doors until 02:00am and letting everyone go wild. We will still be doing that of course (seriously, bring back Saturday nights at PB), but we can also do things that we were blocked from doing previously.

Vintage clothing-swaps, record store days, independents day; we can take up the offers of those who came to us with ideas that we couldn't agree to. We can do it all, and more.

Alright, What Do We Need From You?

Whatever you can afford to donate. We need you to tell your friends, tell your family and tell your binman.

We have successfully raised the first £15,000 needed to secure the keys and get us into a position to sign a lease with the landlord!

Now we need to raise a further £40,000 to get the Bear through the next six months of COVID uncertainty, make alterations to the building to make it 'pandemic-friendly' and therefore make the business sustainable for the long-term future of the venue. The team has the full support of key strategic partners; Hull City Council, City Arts Unit, local MPs and the Music Venue Trust

The more people who know, the more word gets around, the better our chances will be. Maybe Fat Boy Slim will drop by to donate a tenner, who knows? Tim Burgess, front man of The Charlatans has already pledged to appear at the venue for a fundraising show (what a hero!)

All we know is that we really, really believe in the social good that The Polar Bear could create for the community.

We're not in this for a salary, we never were.

But I Don't Have Money To Spare..

That's totally okay, truth be told, we're not comfortable asking for it. You don't need to donate to help us out. Hull isn't, and never really was, a city full of rich kids. That's why we love it. Talk to your friends about it, tell your parents and your grandparents and especially tell Peter Levy.

Share the story on the internet. Tell total strangers about it. You never know who might be able to help out.

If you're passionate about live music, if you have experience helping the community; if you're a member of a charity or community organisation. Basically if you think that you can, in any way shape or form, help us, then contact us via our facebook page.