A music venue in Bristol has received a grant to enable it to replace its accessible Portaloo with a more permanent solution. The Loco Klub is one of three Bristol recipients of Music Venue Trust's (MVT) latest round of funding providing up to £5,000 to help transform their spaces.
The Loco Klub received £4956.99 to pay for a new accessible toilet solution to replace a hired, expensive Portaloo. The music venue by Temple Meads station admitted its temporary Portaloo was a "disservice" to their disabled customers and the funding will enable them to "keep access at the heart" of how they run the space.
A representative from The Loco Klub said: “At present, we hire an accessible Portaloo on a long-term basis, which we feel is a disservice to our disabled customers. Due to the cleaning fluid, there is an unpleasant odour, lighting is poor, there is no insulation, no running water and not enough room for ease of movement or hanging up coats and bags.
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"The facilities we’ll be able to build with this funding will far more accurately show how we value all of our customers, and will provide a far better level of experience for folks with a disability. There will be adequate space, insulation, good lighting, hooks and shelves, running water and all necessary requirements and standards for accessible toilets will be met.
"This means we can continue to keep access at the heart of things here at Loco Klub and make sure our disabled customers can enjoy the venue and facilities in the same way as everyone else.”
The Exchange in Old Market received the maximum grant of £5,000 from MVT’s Pipeline Investment Fund to pay for new DJ equipment to reduce hire costs and enhance production and Trinity in St Judes received £4134.69 to upgrade the lighting rig and purchase staff uniforms to improve safety. The Louisiana and Cloak and Dagger were both awarded grants in previous rounds of funding.
A representative from The Exchange said: “Like a lot of Grassroots Music Venues we have found the last 12 months difficult as we face up to the cost-of-living crisis and an increase in event cancellations. This equipment will allow us to continue to diversify our programme and allow us to bring in more DJs, producers and club event programmers.
"This funding ensures that we can attract even more cutting-edge club nights and continue to diversify our already eclectic programming. We hope to be able to attract more big-name DJs and producers alongside club promoters.”
A representative from Trinity said: “Due to rising energy costs and reduction of shows post-covid, the money to invest into our venue doesn't exist. Venues aren't able to prioritise new equipment when we're struggling to keep people employed in the industry and keep our doors open.
"While we are a thriving music venue, Trinity is a community centre first and foremost. This means money generated through our live programme is utilised to provide free and subsidised space for community groups, rather than going toward equipment replacement, repairs, and upgrades.
"Prioritising these purchases may have been good in the long run but would mean we couldn't provide consistency for the people who need us now. Bringing the venue up to spec will not only benefit us as a venue, but the artists, technicians, and promoters who come into the space, increasing creative possibilities and audience experience.”
Three out of 13 venues named in MVT's latest round of the Pipeline Investment Fund were from Bristol, with £55,203 handed to venues across the UK. The fund prioritises support for organisations who may have been excluded from other available funding and was open to all venue operators and organisations that are classified as a grassroots music space.
Last month, Music Venue Trust released its 2022 Annual Report highlighting how grassroots music can be safeguarded in the UK, criticising the new UK arenas for not doing enough to protect the local music scene. A spokesperson confirmed to BristolLive last month that the opening of the new 19,000-capacity venue "positively contributes" to Bristol's music scene. "We have been developing a community strategy which includes initiatives to support up-and-coming, local artists," they said.
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