The Last Dinner Party leads support for Independent Venue Community

The Independent Venue Community (IVC) – which aims to transform grassroots music venues into inclusive, daytime community spaces – officially launched this week at a Parliamentary reception held in the House of Commons.

The event was hosted by Dame Caroline Dinenage MP and brought artists such as inaugural IVC ambassadors The Last Dinner Party together with industry figures and policymakers to celebrate the mission of turning dormant and overlooked venue spaces into spaces for education, wellbeing, and local connection.

“We owe independent venues our entire career. They gave us a platform to perform for the first time,” The Last Dinner Party told attendees. “They’re not just a pipeline to commercial success, it’s about the communities that these spaces represent. That’s what we really love about Independent Venue Community. The charity is reaching beyond London and decentralising.”

Launching alongside Independent Venue Week, IVC supports year-round community programming in grassroots venues. “There is growing recognition of how crucial these spaces are for the UK’s music culture," says IVC Founder and CEO Sybil Bell. "With IVC we are expanding that potential by encouraging venues to offer daytime programming for everyone in their local community. To deliver this, it is vital IVC wins long-term industry support."

The event also introduced new IVC patrons, including Radiohead’s Philip Selway, Public Service Broadcasting, and Mumford and Sons' Ben Lovett, signalling growing industry support.

IVC is currently piloting the “Soundcheck Sessions”, engaging youth groups with a focus on access and inclusion in the East of England.