NTIA Save Brixton Academy campaign sees 'overwhelming' support

17-May-2023 - Last updated on 17-May-2023 at 09:44 GMT

Overwhelmed: NTIA campaign to save Brixton Academy receives more than 20,000 representations (Credit:GettyPeopleImages)

The campaign to save the Brixton Academy from permanent closure received an “overwhelming” level of response, The Night-Time Industries Association (NTIA) has stated.

Ending at midnight yesterday (Tuesday 16 May), the Save Brixton Academy campaign saw thousands of written representations sent to Lambeth Council in a bid to secure the 94-year-old venue’s future.

Originally launched on Thursday 11 May by the NTIA in partnership with Save Our Scene and Brixton BID, the campaign also received support from notable figures across the music industry.

NTIA CEO Michael Kill said: “We have been overwhelmed with the level of response to this campaign.

Social fabric

“More than 20,000 representations [were] made by music fans to Lambeth Council, including support from the Prodigy, Muse, Defected, NME, Mixmag, Music Week, Skunk Anansie and many more.”

Each representation will go towards a licensing review into the South-London venue’s future, which is due to take place at a later date.

Additionally, a petition to save the academy on Change.org has so far received more than 109,000 signatures.

Data from the NTIA last week estimated local businesses had lost £500,000 each week since the academy’s temporary license suspension by Lambeth Council in December 2022, following a fatal incident at the venue.

Craft Beer Co., which has a site near the academy, co-founder and managing director Martin Hayes added the venue was “important to the social fabric” of Brixton and that event days were “extraordinary” drivers of trade for nearby businesses.

Emotionally invested

“[There’s been] an enormous downturn in trade since it closed this year; every month has been quite badly affected. It’s been a huge blow”, he continued.

Following a meeting to assess the sites license in January this year the Academy Music Group (AMG), which owns the venue, confirmed it would voluntarily stay closed until April this year as investigations into the unfortunate incident continued.

Lambeth council then announced the establishment’s license would be suspended for three months as it reviewed licensable activities at the venue.

Kill added: “I have had hundreds of conversations with people on this campaign journey, across all walks of life, journalists, bankers, nurses, builders, baristas etc. about their experiences at the academy.

“People are emotionally invested in this venue, and it’s clear they are not willing to give it up without a fight.”