#SaveOurVenues - Plot 22

Aim

We're one of the 30 music venues and cultural centres identified by MVT as being most at risk of permanent closure due to the ongoing crisis

Purchasing the #SaveOurVenues merch is the easiest way to support our campaign!!

The new custom Plot 22 garms now available on PUCKDROP are the most stylish way to support the campaign... 

Plot 22 is part of a national initiative launched by the MVT to prevent the permanent closure of music venues most at risk due to the crisis.

What's at risk with Plot 22 is much more than just a music venue.  

Plot 22 is a veritable creative hub that houses studio space for over 10 independent creative artists.

It also provides a safe creative space that exists to support many others through ongoing workshops, projects and support sessions for young people and vulnerable adults in Sheffield.  

Despite losing tens of thousands in lost trade, throughout the lockdown period we've continued to be an invaluable source of support for artists in the underground community and beneficiaries we have met through outreach projects.  

We've lent out equipment so artists can continue to work from home, we've hosted livestream gigs and festivals, we've supported over 50 young people with creative activities and we're currently supporting vulnerable adults in recovery with free music and sound therapy sessions.  

One of our recent live stream events >>

Our venue has been shut for well over 2 years now; having been forced to shut well before covid due to noise complaints, we worked hard to redevelop the space and very nearly relaunched the venue to the public in March this year. The impact of covid and lockdown on lost revenue through the venue was emphasised as we'd been shut for about 18 months before the pandemic hit. 

We were relying on the bounce back trade in 2020 to take the business forward and due to the ongoing restrictions to the events industry, we're now at risk of losing the venue and the space that supports so many people in the community in so many different ways...

In July we hosted a youth action project in collaboration with Element Youth Society for the National Careers Service, for FREE!  This is the project we helped to produce for the young people.

Why are we crowdfunding?

Plot 22 as a music venue and community creative space is at risk of permanent closure...

After 18 months of closure (pre-covid) due to noise complaints, Plot 22 was due to reopen its doors to the public on Friday 20th March 2020. As things would pan out, this was the day that Boris Johnson announced a national lockdown.

Like many other music venues across the country, we lost a very significant amount of projected income in 2020 which was emphasised by our period of closure from 2018.

Being a small DIY venue that caters to around 100 guests at a time, we're not the kind of space that can easily adapt to a socially distanced environment in a way that is economically viable and therefore the venue has stayed shut.

We've linked up with the Music Venues Alliance to draw attention to the ongoing struggles that venues all over the UK are currently facing with restrictions to the events industry.  We've been identified as 1 of 30 venues at risk of permanent closure as a result of lost income from the lockdown.

Your donations will be used to pay for our core costs to keep the building alive while the restrictions prevent us from operating as a viable music venue.

As above, Plot 22 is more than just a music venue - it's a community creative hub and therefore your support will go towards continuing our core offer supporting established and aspiring artists with creative support, and vulnerable adults and young people with creative activities in a safe and supportive environment. 

About Plot 22

As a music venue, we established ourselves as part of the fabric of Sheffield underground's scene in just 15 months of operation between 2017 and 2018. During this time we played host to well over 50 events including gigs, club-nights, fundraisers, exhibitions, private parties, film showings, workshops, photo-shoots, music video shoots and other creative events.  

We worked with hundreds of individuals including event promoters, bands, record labels and other individuals to deliver events at an exciting, intimate, flexible, creative, underground space that catered to a real variety of needs in terms of event programming and social value. Plot 22 is not just an event space, it's also home to seven studio spaces which accommodate over 10 artists including event promoters, DJs, producers, graphic designers, photographers, videographers and visual artists, making it a natural space to network and collaborate too. 

Over time and following persistent noise complaints, we realised that the building itself was not fit for purpose as a music venue and were forced to close to design and install an ambitious programme of renovation works which included soundproofing, ventilation, new toilets and other building upgrades. The works inevitably took longer than we expected and for over 18 months we were shut as a venue. 

Despite not being active as a music venue for some time, we maintained our commitment to the community throughout the covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. Plot 22 has continued to operate  where possible to provide artists and creatives with a safe space to continue to develop their practice.  We've recently been commissioned to deliver creative provision to young people and vulnerable adults at risk of offending, as well as ex-offenders and people in recovery. 

As a community-rooted creative social enterprise, our priorities are:

• to provide a sustainable, accessible platform for underground creative culture in Sheffield by hosting events and workshops
• to encourage the growth of new artists, musicians, performers, event promoters, club night brands & other creatives by providing a safe event and studio space to experiment, develop and showcase/sell work
• to encourage the inclusion of so-called 'hard to reach' groups including ex-offenders, those engaging with drug & alcohol services & young people through embedded education, volunteering & employment opportunities.

About Save Our Venues - The Red List

During the last 8 months, Music Venue Trust and Crowdfunder have worked together to prevent the closure of hundreds of grassroots music venues. With no end to the crisis in sight, we are now refocusing that work to spotlight those venues under most imminent threat of permanent closure. The #SaveOurVenues Red List highlights the grassroots music venues at most risk.

Right now.

We’ve checked all the available funding, financial support, furlough schemes, business support for these venues, and what is on offer is not enough to prevent them being lost. These 30 venues are on the Critical List and need your help.

These grassroots venues play a crucial role in the development of British music, nurturing local talent, providing a platform for artists to build their careers and develop their music and their performance skills. These venues also play a vital role in the cultural and economic vibrancy of any village, town or city.

Please donate, share this page widely and do what you can to help us to make sure our grassroots music venues survive this crisis.

This project successfully funded on 12th February 2021