London venue Matchstick Piehouse saved and will re-open as workers’ co-op

nme.com:

forced to call upon its supporters to contribute to a fundraiser to stay open.It came as the landlord was reported as “threatening to essentially end the lease” unless they were able to raise £35,000 by the end of the week.

The pressure put on the location – which is a bar, music venue and art space – came following trade declined after the pandemic restrictions.In January, it was confirmed that it had lost the battle with its landlord to stay open and revealed plans to become a worker’s co-op instead.

It had raised around £30,000 in donations – something the staff at the venue described as “a testament to the community power” – but was unable to pay off the COVID-19 rent arrears.Now, it has been confirmed that a group of former Matchstick staff, along with resident artists, staff from other grassroots venues and the Music Venue Trust (MVT), have formed a new workers co-op under the name Piehouse Co-op.The announcement comes after a year of negotiations, and the venue is now set to re-open in spring 2025.According to a new press release, the venue is 150-capacity and is one of just a handful of local venues in London that is wheelchair accessible.

At time of writing, though, it is currently unfurnished and in new need of lights, sound and furniture, as the original Matchstick Piehouse layout was stripped of all its assets.