Music

A cultural hub that celebrates all aspects of Jazz is facing eviction from its premises in Southend after the city's council announced plans to repurpose the space to store and display artefacts.

The Jazz Centre has been housed at the lower ground floor of Beecroft Art Gallery in Southend free of charge since 2016. It has used the space to host a walk-through history of jazz, a museum, performance spaces, a cinema and a retail outlet for jazz records and books. 

Carole Mulroney, Councillor responsible for Culture at Southend Council told Echo News that the council was working with the Jazz Centre to find alternative accommodation. 

“We are running a professional museum and arts gallery and we have to take that seriously. We have items to store and display,” she said.

“I am supportive of the Jazz Centre and nothing is off the table when it comes to talks and considerations.”

But Matt Dent, Labour councillor for Kursaal, said that requiring the jazz centre to move out “is a false economy”.

“It’s my view that the presence of the centre in Southend benefits and enriches the cultural life of Southend as a city,” he said, adding that he would speak to officers and cabinet members to try to find a solution.

Conservative councillor for Prettlewell, Kevin Buck, said “any move would be disruptive and cost money too”.

“I would much rather they stay where they are. I just want what they want,” he said.
 

The Brixton O2 Academy is to remain closed for a further three months following a crush at the venue in December which left two people dead.

The decision was made by Lambeth’s licensing subcommittee following a request from the Metropolitan Police, which is investigating the incident.

The crush happened during a gig by the Afrobeats singer Asake on 15 December.

Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, and security guard Gaby Hutchinson, 23, died in hospital following the crush in the foyer of the building.

Preempting the licensing decision, on Saturday the Academy Music Group, which runs the venue, announced that the venue would remain closed while investigations continue.

A spokesperson for Academy Music Group said: “O2 Academy Brixton recognises the gravity of the events which occurred on the night of 15 December 2022 and expresses its sincere condolences to the families of those who died during the tragic incident and its genuine concerns for anyone affected by it.”

“The licence holder, Academy Music Group (AMG), is committed to understanding what happened and cooperating with the various investigations that are under way, including providing full cooperation to the police in the conduct of their inquiries.”

Brixton 02 Academy's licence has been suspended following a fatal crush at a concert last week.

Two people have died in hospital since the incident at the South London venue, with one woman still in a critical condition.

Members of Lambeth Council met yesterday (22 December) and decided to suspend the academy's licence following the "severity of events" and "risks to public safety" from "a lack of crowd control at the front doors".

The initial suspension is in place until a full hearing scheduled for 16 January.

During the council meeting, Metropolitan Police said there was a simliar crush at the venue in February 2020, with concerns first raised about the strength of the front doors during a concert almost three years ago.

The BBC has reported police detectives are currently investigating the incident to determine "if there are any criminal liabilities involved".

Shows due to take place at the venue between now and 16 January are being postponed, while an event scheduled for New Year's Eve has been cancelled.

Music Venue Trust (MVT), has announced the first recipients of its new funding initiative, which provides grants of up to £5,000 for UK grassroots music venues.

The Pipeline Investment Fund was established with the support of members of the Music Venues Alliance and was primarily funded by donations from ticket sales of MVT’s recent Revive Live programme of gigs around the UK, staged in partnership with The National Lottery.

A total of 11 venues will receive support - Alexander's Live in Chester, Venue38 in Ayr, The Louisiana in Bristol, The Grayston Unity in Halifax, Retro in Manchester, Chats Palace in London, Backstage At The Green in Kinross, Dorothy Pax in Sheffield, Servant Jazz Quarters in London, Snug in Atherton, and Three Wise Monkeys in Colchester.

The money will be used for a range of lighting, sound and associated equipment purchases, as well as air conditioning units and building work.

Liverpool will host a cultural festival in the lead up to next year’s Eurovision Song Contest in May.

Culture Liverpool has put out a call for artists, creatives, makers, musicians and performers for ideas towards “creating an inclusive, thought-provoking, entertaining and diverse cultural festival in the lead up to May’s main event”.

Liverpool is hosting next year’s Eurovision in place of Ukraine which won last year’s competition but is unable to host due to Russia’s ongoing invasion.

The lead-up festival will “act as a platform for modern Ukraine,” Culture Liverpool has said.

Prospective commissions should either look to bring together UK and Ukrainian artists to showcase modern Ukrainian culture, celebrate the power of music to bring communities together, or draw on the history of Eurovision and its relationship with Liverpool.

Up to £125,000 is available for large scale projects and up to £25,000 for medium scale projects.

Those interested in being involved in the festival are being asked to submit expressions of interest by 12 December, with further information available on Culture Liverpool’s website.
 

A new partnership between Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) and Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre is aiming to develop musical opportunities for residents of Somerset.

The partnership will see the BSO hosting a regular concert series at the venue, alongside an education and outreach programme.

The Octagon is set to undergo a £29m transformation project, which will see the 622-seat theatre increase to 900 seats. When it reopens in 2025, it will become the BSO’s second base and its “home in Somerset”.

The theatre venue, owned and managed by South Somerset District Council, is also planning to develop an arts engagement outreach programme that will create more opportunities for people to engage and benefit from the creative arts through schools, performances, workshops, regular classes and special projects that will focus on those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“We’re thrilled that our partners at The Octagon Theatre and South Somerset District Council share our passion for the empowering impact of live music,” BSO Chief Executive Dougie Scarfe said.

“Bringing music into people’s lives is why we exist, and we remain committed to reaching people who need our music, now more than ever.”

Octagon Theatre Manager Adam Burgan said: “This residency with BSO will enable us to bring world-class artists to Somerset for regular performances throughout the year that will engage and delight our audiences, whilst work with BSO’s amazing Participate team will create more opportunities for our communities to have access to and be enriched by BSO’s talented musicians.”