MUSIC and performance venue, Cheese and Grain, is continuing to make plans for its post-lockdown reopening.
At the Annual General Meeting (AGM), the venue revealed that it is planning to open its cafe towards the end of April, host socially-distanced gigs in May, and hopes that the venue could be “back to normal” in late June.
The venue reports, “The Cheese and Grain has just had its AGM where the 12 strong board is elected by the Cheese and Grain membership.
“Local members own the Cheese and Grain organisation, a not-for-profit social enterprise registered as a charity and the AGM is the chance for the membership to hold the board to account.
“Andrew Bramston, the Cheese and Grain treasurer, reported how over half a million pounds in grants and loans had kept the Cheese and Grain safe from insolvency and helped the board avoid, so far, any compulsory redundancies.
“The chair, Pepita Collins, reported that it is likely that the cafe will open at some point towards the end of April and suitably Covid “distanced” sit-down gigs will restart in May. It’s hoped that the venue could be back to normal in late June. The new ventilation system is, says Pepita “crucial to a successful re-opening”.
“The recording studio has been operating throughout the lockdowns. As well as being the base throughout the pandemic for “virtual” music-based youth work run by the charity Young Somerset, four commercial albums have been recorded and/or engineered in the studio.
“The Cheese and Grain will be releasing the full details and listings of the venue’s exciting programme of socially distanced and full capacity concerts for the rest of 2021 within the next few weeks.
The Cheese and Grain’s director, Steve Macarthur, told the Frome Times that people can support the Cheese and Grain by hanging onto tickets and waiting for the rescheduled shows, or by buying tickets for new shows in the autumn and joining the Cheese and Grain Friends scheme.
Details of this and up and coming events can be found on www.cheeseandgrain. com and on the Cheese and Grain Facebook page.
