Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support grassroots music venues in Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency.

The government has announced £2.5m of continued funding for the Arts Council England’s (ACE) Supporting Grassroots Music Fund (SGMF) for 2025-26. This enables grassroots music venues, recording studios, promoters and festivals to apply for grants of up to £40k to develop new revenue streams, make repairs and improvements, and enhance the live music experience for fans.

ACE has made a number of SGMF awards within the Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency, including Women Are Mint, a grassroots festival that takes place in Newcastle, along with Brave Exhibitions Festival, The Tyne Bank Brewery and Cobalt Studios.

There are also a number of organisations within the ACE national portfolio that engage people in grassroots music activity within this constituency, including Generator, a creative and cultural talent development agency focused on artist development and skills.

The Government and the live music industry are working together to drive progress on an industry-led levy on tickets for stadium and arena shows, to support grassroots music. We welcome commitments by artists and the wider industry to implement the ticket levy, and steps taken by industry to set up a charitable trust to distribute funds from the levy.