Beginning April 8, businesses that provide live entertainment to audiences heavily impacted by lockdowns during the Covid pandemic have relief coming in the form of grants from the Small Business Association.
As the SBA revealed details of the Shuttered Venue Operators Grants, Curtis Monroe, the General Manager of Warehouse Live in Houston, said they are exactly the sort of business that will benefit from legislation co-authored by Texas Senator John Cornyn. “Like most live venues around the world, here in the states and also here in Houston our business saw an almost 90% decline in revenue from 2019 to 2020. We went from well over 250 events a year to less than 40 over 2020.” Monroe has been the Texas representative for the National Independent Venues Association and has been active lobbying for relief.
The American Rescue Plan Act added another chuck of money to an already approved SVOG program, bringing the total available for American performance venues to $16.25 billion. The first week those businesses who suffered the most will apply and availability will open in following weeks.
Tim Jeffcoat, who heads the Houston SBA office, suggests those businesses in need get their paperwork organized and apply as soon as possible.
The funds are available to a strictly defined group of businesses that include live venue operators, theatrical producers, live performing arts organization operators, relevant museum operators, and motion picture theatre operators.
photo: Getty Images