Team FAC take on Glastonbury and witness the importance of supporting grassroots music

Last weekend, team FAC headed off to explore the incredible Glastonbury festival!

Our highlights from the magical weekend included two of our 2023 Step Up Fund awardees Jalen Ngonda and Tara Lily, and Elkka from the 2022 cohort of awardees.  As well as Confidence Man, Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, Fontaines DC, Or:la, The Zawose Queens, Little Simz, Roni Size, PJ Harvey and Mannequin Pussy.

The weekend full of amazing music once again highlighted the importance of supporting grassroots music. Most of the acts on the lineup began their careers in the underground, playing grassroots music venues, and without financial support.  The next wave will struggle to climb their way up the lineup and through the music ecosystem amidst the current crisis in the grassroots sector. At the FAC, we tirelessly advocate for artists, and here are two examples of the work we are doing.

#SupportingArtists Artists are facing a cost of touring crisis, with grassroots becoming increasingly impossible. Parliament's Culture Select Committee has published recommendations urging the music industry to agree on a solution or risk the implementation of legislation. The FAC supports a blanket levy to support grassroots artists and enable them to tour in the UK.

#100PercentVenues In January 2022, we launched the 100% Venues directory, a public database of UK venues that charge zero commissionn on artists' merchandise sales. In the Grassroots Music report, the Parliament's Culture Select Committee recommended that the music industry backs our 100% Venues campaign against punitive merch fees.

We ask you to support our campaigns by sharing our posts and using the #SupportingArtists and #100PercentVenues hashtags!