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Top Tips for Preserving Nightlife Spaces: A Guide to Cultural Survival
- Joanne Cox-Brown
- Jul 28
- 5 min read
With real case studies from across the UK
As the Creative Foundations Fund closes for applications in the UK, and there was news over the weekend of more cultural and creative spaces closing, I thought I would blog on how to preserve nightlife spaces.
Nightlife venues are more than places to dance, drink, or gather; they’re cultural lifelines, sites of identity, resistance, creativity, and connection. Yet from rent hikes and licensing restrictions to gentrification and noise complaints, nightlife spaces are under increasing pressure.
Preserving them takes more than nostalgia. It takes strategy, vision, and bold action.
My team and I have worked with over 4,000 venues to protect, preserve, and reimagine new and old places and spaces. I thought I'd share our top practical tips, reinforced with real-world examples to show how it's already being done. Just because nightlife is changing, it doesn't mean it's dying.
1. Secure the Building: Ownership or Control is Everything
Buy the freehold if possible, or negotiate long-term leases with strong protective clauses
Use charitable trusts or CICs to separate building ownership from trading operations
Lock in cultural use via restrictive covenants or planning conditions
📌 Case Study: The Malt Cross Music Hall, Nottingham: In 2008, Jo Cox-Brown and her team created a charitable trust to own the building, while a Ltd company leased and ran the venue. This model secured the building as a cultural asset while enabling commercial activity, a sustainable structure that has protected the venue ever since.
📌 Case Study: Music Venue Trust – "Own Our Venues" Campaign: In 2022, MVT launched a national campaign to purchase freeholds of vulnerable music venues, placing them into a community benefit society. The 100 Club (London), Sunbird Records (Darwen), and The Ferret (Preston) were among the first secured. This approach locks venues into cultural use and prevents speculative development.
2. Adopt a Hybrid Model: Charity + Trading Arm
: Access grant funding and business rate relief via the charitable arm
Run bars, venue hires, and events via a trading subsidiary
Gift profits back to support the mission
📌 Case Study: The Drumsheds (Enfield) Operated under Nine Point Eight, a charity, the Drumsheds model reinvests all profits into community engagement, artist development, and cultural access. The venue functions as a commercial powerhouse while being mission-driven at its core.
3. Get Organised: Document Your Cultural Value
Collect data on economic impact, job creation, cultural reach, and social benefit
Compile testimonials, case studies, and audience stories
Use this to support funding, planning, licensing, and political engagement
📌 Case Study: Band on the Wall, Manchester: To secure a £3.2 million refurbishment, Band on the Wall compiled a comprehensive impact report outlining its contributions to the local economy, live music sector, heritage preservation, and community engagement. This enabled successful bids to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England, and Manchester City Council, ensuring the venue’s long-term future.
📌 Case Study: The Leadmill, Sheffield: When faced with eviction in 2022, The Leadmill launched a public campaign backed by data on local economic impact and community support, helping mobilise political allies and thousands of public responses. Their evidence base is now central to legal and cultural protection strategies.
4. Build Allies & Networks
Engage early with local councillors, residents, planners, and police
Join or establish night-time economy forums or venue alliances
Collaborate with arts orgs, universities, and business improvement districts
📌 Case Study: Bristol Nights - Bristol’s nighttime economy has thrived thanks to collaborative working between venues, the city council, public health, and licensing teams. Their unified voice helped introduce venue-friendly planning policy, Agent of Change protections, and nightlife safety initiatives rooted in joint advocacy.
📌 Case Study: Music Venue Trust: MVT provides free legal, licensing, and planning support to grassroots venues. By creating a national network, they’ve helped venues defend against redevelopment, navigate licensing threats, and strengthen funding bids through shared resources.
5. Invest in Community Access & Inclusion
Open your space to local projects, workshops, schools, and artists
Make your venue feel like public infrastructure, not just a private club
Program with diversity, care, and local roots
📌 Case Study: Soup Kitchen, Manchester: This iconic NQ venue operates with a social ethos offering daytime programming, youth workshops, free events, and partnerships with local charities. As a result, it’s perceived as a vital community space, which strengthens its resilience against licensing or planning challenges.
6. Leverage Legal & Policy Tools
Apply to list your space as an Asset of Community Value (ACV)
Embed your venue in local cultural strategies
Use planning protections like Agent of Change
📌 Case Study: The George Tavern, London: The George was threatened by a housing development next door. Thanks to ACV status, strong local backing, and Agent of Change protections, the venue survived. Their status as a community anchor and historic asset made the difference in the planning appeal.
📌 Case Study: YES, Manchester: YES was specifically designed with planning protections in place, including sound mitigation and community engagement conditions. The venue also documented its value early, ensuring it was recognised in cultural policy.
7. Think Long-Term, Not Just Operationally
Do you have a succession plan?
Are your structures flexible enough to adapt with cultural trends and legal shifts?
Can your venue weather leadership change, funding gaps, or planning disputes?
📌 Case Study: Cecil Sharp House, London: Home of the English Folk Dance and Song Society. The venue has survived for generations due to its robust charity structure, multi-income strategy, and clear mission lock. While not strictly nightlife, it offers a powerful model for longevity through effective governance and flexibility.
8. Plan for Sustainability: Sweat the Asset Day & Night
Nightlife venues can no longer rely solely on income from night-time events
Develop a daytime economy: coworking, artist residencies, rehearsals, training, wellness, and food & drink
Maximising use of space increases income, broadens community relevance, and makes your business model more resilient
📌 Case Study: The Albany, Deptford (London) The Albany is a 24/7 multidisciplinary venue hosting a range of events, from rehearsals and workshops to gigs, exhibitions, and community events. It also leases space to social enterprises and local initiatives, ensuring the building is active, profitable, and culturally relevant across all hours.
📌 Case Study: Patterns, Brighton: Patterns combines a daytime café and record store with a vibrant club programme. This dual-use model enables them to reach a wider audience, reduce downtime, and foster long-term sustainability.
Final Thought
Preserving nightlife isn’t just about keeping old clubs alive. It’s about protecting living culture, safeguarding community space, and building resilient infrastructure for generations to come.
These case studies show it can be done with the right models, the right data, and the right allies.
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