THE owner of a live music venue in Dumfries says he feels “undervalued” after being rejected for financial support despite receiving no income for eight months.
In September Ewan McNaught applied for his business, The Venue, to receive funding from Creative Scotland’s Grassroots Music Venues Stabilisation Fund and Cultural Organisations and Venues Fund.
However, his applications to both were unsuccessful and he was told that The Venue’s financial records “did not demonstrate that financial support was needed to save jobs and prevent insolvency.”
In a statement posted on social media, Ewan said he was “being punished for running a tight ship and prudently reinvesting in the business over the years.”
He added: “Whether we’re valued by Creative Scotland or not (and obviously we’re not), I’m proud of the role that The Venue in Dumfries has played over the last 20 plus years in supporting the local music scene in Dumfries, and providing a venue for touring bands to play in an area not well served for live music.
“I’m proud that our financial prudence and reinvestment has allowed us to retain all of our 28 staff, full and part-timers, in an area of high unemployment and relative economic deprivation, despite being closed since March and unlikely to open until next March at the earliest.
“We have made no-one redundant and have no plans to do so. I will certainly never forget how undervalued The Venue is by Scot Gov, and those who administer their funding.”
