Major artists to perform in aid of music charities
Newton Faulkner, Charlotte Church and The Supernaturals are among the artists set to perform for at-home charity festival Music Feeds.
Organised by ethical, non-profit promoter Everybody Belongs Here and with support from Co-op, Music Feeds will broadcast performances from more than 40 artists from 8 pm GMT on 28 and 29 January to raise money for charities dedicated to crew, musicians and tackling food poverty.
Tickets for the two-night event cost £15 and net proceeds from the sales will be split between three charities with 70% going to FareShare (a long-running charity network aimed at relieving food poverty and reducing food waste in the UK), 20% to Stagehand (live production hardship fund) and 10% to Help Musicians (the UK’s leading charity for musicians).
As part of Music Feeds, Co-op has also donated one million pounds, with the same percentage split, to all three charities.
As part of Music Feeds, Co-op has also donated one million pounds
Other artists performing at the event include: Sam Smith, Blossoms, Fontaines DC, Fenne Lily, Kyle Falconer (The View), Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals), The Slow Readers Club, Steve Mason, October Drift and more. See the full line-up here.
Tickets are available through DICE, the official ticketing partner of Everybody Belongs Here.
Stagehand – which is this year’s Nikos Fund, the ILMC charity of the year – recently raised £535, 840 for production staff and stage crew impacted by the loss of work caused by the Covid-19 pandemic through a prize draw featuring unique memorabilia from artists.
The charity has already raised £280,000 in donations from PPL, the BPI, major record labels and artist management companies – most of which went to the 300 crew members in the most desperate need late last year – and is also collecting more through other fundraising initiatives including Prints For Music.
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OVG’s new Manchester arena to be called Co-op Live
Oak View Group (OVG) is joining forces with the Co-op to develop its new east Manchester arena, which was given the green light yesterday.
The 23,500-capacity venue, which will be built on the Etihad Campus, the site of Manchester City FC’s Etihad Stadium in Eastlands, will be named Co-op Live during the 15-year partnership – which IQ understands is worth £100m.
The partnership will enable Co-op to offer its members a number of exclusive benefits including pre-sale tickets; discounts on food and beverage; the chance to win free tickets and exclusive backstage VIP experiences, plus priority entry-access to the venue.
The Co-op Foundation will also be responsible for distributing the arena’s annual contribution of £1 million to good causes, which will involve helping to tackle food poverty via a zero-food waste initiative and working towards Manchester’s zero-carbon agenda.
Jo Whitfield, CEO, Co-op Food, said: “Ethics are at the heart of the Co-op and we’re proud that one of the world’s greenest and most socially responsible live entertainment venues will carry our name. It will give millions of pounds back to local communities and good causes and we’ll make access to entertainment easier for our members with exclusive and pre-sale tickets.”
She added: “The coronavirus pandemic is having a significant impact and our multi-million-pound investment is a signal of our intent for the future of the region, creating jobs and helping to bring some of the world’s best events to Manchester.”
“The shared values will help define the ethos of the venue, including bold commitments on sustainability and community”
Tim Leiweke, CEO at Oak View Group, says: “We’re delighted with this partnership and join together with the Co-op team to build the new world-class arena that Manchester deserves. Our shared vision with Co-op is what makes this partnership so special.
“Our partnership goes way beyond a normal naming rights agreement. The shared values will help define the ethos of the venue, including bold commitments on sustainability and community.
“I’ve said from the beginning of this project that this arena will be of Manchester, for Manchester and by Manchester, and this partnership with one of the city’s most iconic brands is a critical part of that. We can’t wait to work together to bring amazing live event experiences, in one of the world’s best arenas, to Manchester.”
Sam Piccione III, President, OVG International, said: “We started discussions with Co-op over a year ago, and knew from the very first meeting that they were the right partner for our new venue in Manchester.
“We’ve worked hard together throughout the challenging recent months to bring the right deal together. Co-op is both one of the UK’s most recognisable brands and deeply embedded in the local community, so it’s a privilege to partner with them for the next 15 years.”
Manchester City Council yesterday gave OVG the go-ahead to build Co-op Live, which will rival New York’s Madison Square Garden (20,789), The Forum in LA (17,505) and The O2 in London (21,000).
The project will inject £350m of private investment into the local area and will create 3,350 constructions jobs, starting from November this year, and 1,000 roles and apprenticeships. The Co-op will back the arena’s apprenticeship programme and provide direct employment opportunities for its six secondary and college academies across Greater Manchester.
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