Piece Hall gig-goers to be invited to support Calderdale's grassroots music venues

All those buying tickets for next year’s summer concerts at Halifax’s Piece Hall through Ticketmaster will be asked to add a donation to the Music Venue Trust.

The funds raised will go towards supporting grassroots music venues in Calderdale.

The agreement was made between The Piece Hall, Music Venue Trust and Live at The Piece Hall promoters Cuffe and Taylor after Michael Ainsworth, owner of The Grayston Unity on Horton Street, approached The Piece Hall and highlighted the plight of grassroots venues.

"I’m delighted The Piece Hall, through their partners Cuffe and Taylor, listened to my request and has agreed to implement this and be the first venue in the UK, and possibly the world, to do such a thing to support independent venues,” he said.

“It will help venues like mine and others in the area such as The Golden Lion, The Blind Pig, Puzzle Hall Inn and Trades Club and, in doing so, help us to continue to supply the artists and tech staff of the future.”

Nicky Chance Thompson, CEO of The Piece Hall Charitable Trust, said: “Our partnership with Cuffe and Taylor means we can bring global superstars to Halifax.

"We try wherever possible to make sure they are supported by local talent but I’m conscious that we need to do what we can to support our smaller independent venues.

“Grassroots venues are vital to the future of the music scene. The acts performing in these cherished and independent venues today are the Live at The Piece Hall headliners of tomorrow.

“I’m so pleased we’ve been able to find a way to help our local venues, to ensure the talent keeps coming through and I’m really proud that we’re leading the way as the first venue in the UK to do this across our entire season.”

Peter Taylor, co-founder of Cuffe and Taylor, added: “To be able to ring fence the money raised means fans who opt in to donate are directly supporting Calderdale’s up-and-coming musicians and the local venues in the borough that are so important to their development as artists.”