Celebrating its 26th year in 2025, The Cluny is one of over 200 venues that took part in Independent Venue Week (IVW), with over 5,000 gigs taking place over the organisation’s 12-year tenure. The Cluny’s Production Manager, Ross Lewis, and staff were honoured by Music Venue Trust (MVT) for Outstanding Contribution to Grassroots Music in November last year alongside other independent venues.
Following the award, Lewis was keen to speak to TPi about how the venue is giving young people opportunities to forge a career in production. “It’s important to give kids opportunities through the arts,” he began.
“I was originally involved in a scheme called Create, which gave kids who were at risk of leaving school experience in live events. Through the one course that we did – because we could never get funding for it again – we now have two touring professionals, someone who co-runs Guerrilla Events in Northumberland, a full-time police officer and a young entrepreneur. I’m evangelical about the power of live music. Once young people discover that these job roles exist, they want it.”
Lewis doesn’t let the lack of funding stop him from inspiring the next generation of roadies, offering training and shadowing opportunities at The Cluny at almost all of its shows. Following his full-time appointment at the venue, Lewis introduced the collaboration of Attitude is Everything to increase accessibility in the venue. He also helped create a 10-week introductory course for technical skills required in the industry, which introduces budding technicians to The Cluny. “I was once a poor kid, and my biggest barrier was access,” he stated. “I don’t want access to be a barrier for people who want to come to The Cluny.”
Lewis has links with colleges in the North East, and through this collaboration, 50 to 80 students per year can go to The Cluny for shadowing or work opportunities. “I’m obsessed with what music does for people’s lives,” he added. “Things like IVW shine a light on what we do. Even if it triggers just one sale, it works, but equally if it triggers someone to think about the strain on independent venues then that is just as important. There has always been magic in this industry and if you use it correctly, you can achieve good things quickly.”
With MVT’s 2024 annual report revealing that a venue was closed every two weeks on average last year, IVW is now more important than ever. “After 12 years of Independent Venue Week, I’m in no doubt of how vital these spaces are to local communities – whether they’re staging music and cultural events, providing a springboard for new and emerging talent, or an access point for young people to gain vital work skills and experience,” commented Sybil Bell, Founder and CEO of IVW. “That last quality is arguably the least recognised, but there are scores of live music professionals – from promoters, agents, managers to sound and lighting technicians – who learned the ropes at their local independent venue.”
Independent Venue Week is now set to expand it’s impact with a new charity called Independent Venue Community (IVC). Launched in 2024, IVC brings together development services and non-core programming, aiming to encourage participation from under-served communities.
“So many towns and cities in the UK have a venue where local people can come together and enjoy music and the arts. From our experiences with Independent Venue Week, we believe passionately that they have potential – in daytime hours – to deliver even more,” Bell stated. “As well as recognising the role played by independent venues as employers and skills developers, we should also be looking to unlock funding to ensure even more venues can reach their full potential.”
Words: Alicia Pollitt
Photo: The Cluny
