Help keep Strange Brew alive!

Strange Brew Bristol is part of a national initiative launched by Music Venue Trust to prevent the closure of hundreds of independent music venues. 

We are a grassroots music venue, cafe-bar and artspace in Bristol centre that is also home to the Planet Caravan record shop. We opened in September 2020 in unprecedented times, thanks to a lot of hard work and amazing community support. 

Because we are so new we have been ineligible for any government financial support through the pandemic. Since getting the keys we have been battling through two lockdowns, a 10pm curfew and a 70% reduction in capacity. So we're asking for your support to help us through these tricky times. 

OUR STORY SO FAR

• In January we took on a near-dilapidated building which had been empty for a decade. With the help of a crew of volunteers, we have transformed it from a concrete shell to a fully-functioning, fully wheelchair accessible live music venue with artspace, bar and record shop
• Before the first Covid lockdown we completed 80% of the work needed to get open. We were unable to complete works or open as planned in April 2020 due to the lockdown. We have since fallen through all the cracks for financial support - firstly we were ineligible for any government Covid grants because it was deemed that we had to be fully open & trading when lockdown started in March. Then we were also ineligible for all Arts Council England Covid funding because we had not been trading for more than 12 months. 
• In spite of this, we managed to scrape some finance together, push ahead with the remaining work and open in September 2020. 
• To ensure Covid safety, we have had to operate at significantly reduced capacity as a seated bar. Our rent and license was signed at the start of January on an assumed capacity of 250, now reduced to 75 under social distancing. 
• When we first opened we were able to stay open until 1am and had good daytime cafe trade from office workers and students, which was viable in keeping us afloat. But this only lasted 3 weeks before the 10PM curfew and student lockdowns were introduced. This had a massive impact on our revenue and we have only just been breaking even since.

WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN!

So far Strange Brew has proven hugely popular as a sit-down bar and would be viable under social distancing IF we didn't have a 10pm curfew. We have already welcomed hundreds of people and some of Bristol's best DJs through our doors, created 11 jobs and pulled a LOT of pints. Feedback has been great and weekend table bookings sell out a long time in advance. The most frequent comment we received is that customers can't wait to be able to dance in it properly!

We are very thankful to the love and support from the local community, our brilliant staff, amazing artists & musicians as well as the Music Venue Trust. We are proud of the community that is already building up around Strange Brew and feel we were just hitting our stride with artist residencies happening and our first live program due to begin in November with the likes of Tara Clerkin Trio, Emma-Jean Thackery and Dele Sosimi lined up to play, alongside performances from drag cabaret crew, Slaughterhaus. These events have all been successfully postponed until 2021 and there is so much more we have planned!

HOW YOUR FUNDS WILL HELP

One of the reasons we felt compelled to open a music venue was because Bristol centre (like many UK cities) has lost 20% of its venues and bars in the last 8 years. Strange Brew is our chance to help turn that tide and offers an accessible, inclusive, vibrant new hub for live music, art and community. 

The last couple of months have shown us that Strange Brew can thrive and that people are enjoying what it offers (even with current limitations), but for now we are in a precarious position due to Covid-19 and the restrictions it has brought. Your donations will help secure our future, contributing to our ongoing rent and essential running costs during this tricky time, and help ensure we can get through the most difficult period live music venues have ever faced. 

THANK YOU 

Whatever form it takes, your support and contributions will be hugely appreciated. You can support Strange Brew by: 

• pledging - however large or small, every bit counts
• sharing our Crowdfunder campaign on social media 
• telling your friends and getting the word out will be invaluable to us

Thank you for reading and for your support - spread the word and see you soon!

love from Strange Brew