A music cooperative in north Lancashire that has provided rehearsal and recording space for students and musicians since 1985 will reopen in June 2027 after securing £100,000 in funding, the BBC reported.
Lancaster Music Co-op’s building on Lodge Street closed in 2021 after being declared unsafe. Initial repairs worth £1.2 million were funded by grants and community fundraising, but an additional £100,000 was still needed, according to the BBC.
The money has now been secured through a £90,000 Arts Council England grant, which was dependent on £10,000 in match funding the co-op raised from the local community. The grant will fund final build phases, including completion of rehearsal and recording rooms, the office, and finishing works.
The cooperative was founded when a group of Lancaster University students who could not find anywhere to practice opened their studios. The newly refurbished facility will include five rehearsal rooms and a small recording studio, with scope to develop the upstairs area if further funding is raised.
Director Holly Blackwell said the co-op means too much to too many people to give up on, and that being in bands provides an escape from normal life. Lancaster and Wyre MP Cat Smith called the co-op a vital part of the grassroots music scene, the BBC reported.
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