Hackney live music businesses unite against noise complaints
The Jago, Dalston (credit: Larry J Photography)
Live music businesses across Hackney have united in protest against council threats to venue licences due to a rising number of noise complaints.
Since the pandemic, a large number of business premises have been converted into residential properties and as such many live music venues now face surrounding buildings full of tenants, some of whom are pressuring the council to act.
Home of noisenights three and seven, The Jago is one of the venues struggling with new noise complaints. Formally known as Passing Clouds, the venue in the old Hackney Gazette printing press on Kingsland Road has faced closure in the past.
After a long fight to save the building from redevelopment, the site is now registered as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) and has continued to house local and diverse musicians for almost two decades.
Abel Selaocoe at noisenight three at The Jago
However, the latest council approach to noise complaints puts venues at risk of closure or a reduction in trading hours, effectively making the businesses, many on the brink of financial crisis after being closed during successive lockdowns, non-viable. Other grassroots music venues, including The Haggerston Pub, have already fallen victim to these consequences.
As one of the last ACV grassroots venues in Hackney, The Jago has the best chance of any to withstand the latest council intervention, but the venue has been driven to start a public petition to call-out for collective action to protect grassroots venues in Hackney against noise complaints and closure.
Toril Azzalini-Machecler at noisenight seven at The Jago
The Mayor of London's Culture at Risk team have expressed their support in resolving the issue, and The Jago aim to facilitate a conversation between Hackney Environmental and Culture teams to reach a mutual resolution for all parties involved.
Our Co-founder and Artistic Director Jack Bazalgette said:
“Nightlife and live music is central to Hackney’s cultural richness and local economy. Venues like The Jago are revered across London, the UK, and internationally as cultural institutions, and are so important for putting, and keeping, Hackney on the map.
At through the noise, we’ve chosen to host most of our UK-wide noisenights series in Hackney, at spaces including OSLO and The Jago, because of our vibrant and forward-looking local music scene. We’ve seen other venues across London fall to new-build noise complaints and council intervention, and it would be a disaster for the area if this were to spread to Hackney.”
A spokesperson for The Jago said:
“Hackney is a wonderfully unique place. With people relocating to the area during a global pandemic, we want to ensure the cultural value and community arts spirit of Hackney is not overlooked. We welcome new residents into the vibrancy and culture of our community. We’d like to work with the wider community, and gain collective support to reach an amicable resolution.
Today, we are asking for your support. We are asking local residents to sign our petition, reinforcing a need for collective support in protecting our grassroots venues and culture in Hackney.”
Sign the petition here. Join us at The Jago on 10 December here.
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