Sheffield’s Gut Level announces closure due to property developers
The queer-led DIY venue is hoping to have the space at Snow Lane for 3 more months before having to shut.
Gut Level shared the news in an Instagram post at the end last week (1 July). “It is with great sadness that we must announce the impending closure of Gut Level’s beautiful Snow Lane space,” they wrote. “For many people involved in DIY & grassroots spaces, this story will be familiar,” the post continues, citing insecure tenancies, gentrification and luxury property developments as the main contributing factors to the venue’s imminent closure. “In our case, the GL building will soon be developed into flats, displacing our community and disrupting the parties & workshops that we had planned for you all,” the Gut Level team added.
Gut Level’s organisers said that they hope to have the Snow Lane space for a few more months and are currently planning “a final run of activity taking place in Aug & Sept.” Concluding the post, they wrote, “Don’t cry because it’s over, rub one out because it happened! Queer hedonism will never die! DIY 4eva <3” [sic]
Founded in 2019, Gut Level was originally housed in Attercliffe Arches in Sheffield before moving to its current space at Snow Lane. Over the past few years, it has seen sets from the likes of Flora Yin Wong, Diessa and held in-house party Club Rush. During the lockdowns, Gut Level also hosted a series of online talks with Sherelle, LCY, Zakia, Eris Drew and more.
Read Gut Level’s full statement below.
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In response to the constant threat of closure venues face due to property developments, The Music Venue Trust recently launched their Own Our Venues campaign. Read about the initiative, which is focused on community ownership of venues, here.
