Live music and theatre in Devon and Cornwall facing 'funding crisis' as venues close

Theatre bosses and gig promoters tell ITV News' Sam Blackledge the industry is 'in crisis.

Live music venues and theatres in the South West are facing a funding crisis, according to those who run them.Despite efforts to redistribute money around the country, figures show the region remains well behind other areas in terms of arts investment and venues are closing as a result.Theatre directors and gig promoters are calling on the government and local councils to do more, warning it is becoming difficult for performers to make a living and attract audiences.

Rufus Maurice, who runs the Cornish Bank in Falmouth, said: "It's in crisis, to be honest.

"We are a venue in a popular town, we've got students, it's got a good nighttime economy in Falmouth, and we're struggling.

"Local venues are closing down, one across the road from us closed this year. It's time we woke up to it."A new report from the Music Venues Trust revealed 125 spaces nationwide have closed in the last year, with £115 million given out in grants and donations to prop up the industry.Mr Maurice said: "I would like to see music given the respect that the audience has given it.

"In the South West, we've got, I think, the highest audience attendance of arts and culture, but we have one of the lowest funding rates.

"Humans need human contact, and these spaces are critical. We can't rely on sitting on sofas watching Netflix. It's really important that we recognise the incubator this is for our culture."

Ezmay Grace is a singer-songwriter based in north Cornwall. She believes creativity is vital for our wellbeing.She said: "I think it's incredibly important that we fund the arts well. I would love to see what people thought of a world without music, without television, without museums and art. I think that we'd all be absolutely miserable.

"Music can never disappear. The arts can never disappear. It's entertainment. It's what keeps people happy. It's what keeps people going."

Regional arts venues, like the Barbican Theatre in Plymouth, are struggling. Laura Horton, who recently took over as artistic consultant, said: "It's really hard.

"There's very little funding out there. People are struggling to make work, and I feel like there's a lot of mistrust in the arts sometimes, and it's the first thing to go.

"There are a few theatres recently that have fully lost their funding from their council, and it would be heartbreaking to see that happening here.

"I think it's about looking at where money is being spent, because I don't think there's a lot of transparency around funding and how potentially people are using the money that they have. You find a lot of people are already independently wealthy who are making theatre."