Tonight sees Swansea Arena host its House Party - a special event not only in terms of being a showcase for the South Wales music scene but also because it's part of a commendable strategy to support and work with smaller spaces in the local area.
Both the event and the strategy inspired this article for Buzz, which, in a similarly bullish and positive spirit, avoids dwelling only on the difficulties facing grassroots music venues (GMVs), and instead looks at some of the solutions that are being proposed and implemented.
Having pitched the piece, I found myself going into it with a sense of dread and despair at how bad the situation might be - and, sure enough, the current climate is hugely challenging in a number of ways. But it's testament to those who gave their time and thoughts that I emerged on the other side with a renewed optimism, as well as a reaffirmed conviction in the importance of GMVs within the cultural ecosystem.
To borrow an appropriate Welsh slogan: together stronger.
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