Reform Radio Receives the Grassroots Music Venues Fund

Grassroots Music Fund was a £2.25 million funding scheme by Arts Council England, which aimed to support England’s music and multi-art venues that were at risk of insolvency due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Reform Radio was one of the many venues that received this fund which was used to upgrade the live room’s kit.

With help from the Arts Council England Fund, Reform were able to create a Jäger x Reform stage at this year’s virtual presentation of We Out Here Festival. As reported in DJ Mag, Resident Advisor and The Vinyl Factory, Reform Radio teamed up with the crew at Giles Peterson’s We Out Here Festival and Worldwide FM, to throw a digital festival to raise funds for Black Lives Matter associated charities.

The weekend was successful in safely programming over 20 hours of live music, poetry, dancing and DJ sets from over 20 Manchester based artists. The festival on a whole was filled with a massive array of the arts; music, films, panels, workshops, kids activities and more.

DJ Paulette who blessed the Jäger x Reform stage with her high energy house set participated in a brilliantly insightfulpanel discussion about racism in music industry, action and change with Jenna G and Pops Roberts from Lovescene.

The broadcast alone was an all time highlight for us at Reform. However we are extremely pleased to inform everyone that the festival crowdfunder raised £7,508 for the charities People Dem, Tomorrow’s Warriors, Black Cultural Archives, Black Minds Matter, Abram Wilson Foundation and The Black Curriculum (special mention to Mr Scruff & MC Kwasi for their final fundraising drive, extending their set for donations).

Thanks to Jägermeister & Arts Council England for helping make this happen, as well as We Out Here for the opportunity. There are many more who we wanted to thank that could fit here, so see our full post on Facebook.

Please also head to the document that was created to support all the artists that played.