At the occasion of MIL – Lisbon in March 2019, Live DMA met a delegation of music venues and clubs from Portugal.
On behalf of Live DMA board members, we would like to applaud the on-going process of gathering voices and strengths of the participants to set up a national association for music venues and clubs in Portugal. Music venues and clubs in Portugal lack of cultural recognition from the local authorities and they suffer from the absence of a national framework. Working together within a national association would give them a single voice to advocate for better regulatory and support schemes towards live music.
National cooperation on such policies would enhance the development of professional trainings, and the development of live music scenes outside the largest cities such as Lisbon and Porto. Music venues and clubs would then benefit from dedicated projects and services, and get a better visibility at the international level.
Despite a challenging lack of time, resource and dedicated staff, the live music venues and clubs agreed on a common willingness to formalize the launch of an association, based on the existing but informal cooperation.
Live DMA commits to provide support, tips and legal resource to build on this momentum.
© Photos by Ana Viotti – MIL 2019