LIVE (Live Music Industry Venues & Entertainment) has unveiled eight new trustee appointments to the expanded board of the recently launched LIVE Trust.
The new appointees will join the three founding trustees: James Ainscough from the Royal Albert Hall, Steve Lamacq of BBC 6 Music and the current LIVE chair, and Kirsty McShannon, founder & CEO of Azorra.
The eight new trustees are:
Adem Holness, head of music at SXSW London
David Jones, ex-founding director of Serious & co-founder, EFG London Jazz Festival
David Laing, ex-head of Arts, Music and Cultural Venues, Glasgow Life
Estelle Wilkinson, artist manager
John Cornwell, promoter and a director at SJM Concerts
Simon Rix, performing artist with Kaiser Chiefs
Victoria Smith, Finance Director and Shareholder at Ghostwriter Consultancy & Events
Wendy Smith, Creative Director at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music and performing artist
The trustees will serve a three-year term of office on a voluntary basis, renewable for two further terms to a maximum of nine years. They were selected on the basis of their passion for and understanding of the UK live music sector.
“They share the Trust’s vision for an inclusive, sustainable live music industry with a particular focus on the needs of the grassroots sector,” said a statement. “The board will use the experience and networks that the new trustees bring to further augment its collective decisions around the assessment of where need is most pressing and where funds can give most impact.”
In addition, Kirsty McShannon was elected chair of trustees at the board’s first in-person meeting, which took place at the Royal Albert Hall this week.
Jon Collins, CEO of LIVE, said: “The election of Kirsty McShannon to chair of Trustees was a landmark moment for the board and recognises her industry experience, personal qualities and important role shaping the remit of the Trust as one of the founding trustees.”
Established in response to the 2024 Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) report calling for an industry-led voluntary solution to the crisis in the grassroots music industry, the LIVE Trust is responsible for overseeing a voluntary £1 ticket contribution on arena & stadium shows over a 5,000-capacity. It recently announced 800,000 pledged ticket sales from artists including Pulp, Diana Ross, Mumford and Sons, Hans Zimmer, Gorillaz, Wolf Alice and others.
The LIVE Trust will act on behalf of the live music industry, which contributes £6.1 billion to the UK economy while employing 230,000 people. It will support a grassroots sector which saw 125 grassroots music venues close permanently in 2023, 78 festivals lost in 2024 and a 50% decline in tour dates over the last three decades.
LIVE chair Steve Lamacq said: “Appointing the trustees has been a long, detailed and considered process. We were delighted to receive almost 50 very high-quality expressions of interest in joining the board. I would like to thank Charisse, James and Kirsty for joining me on the appointment panel and taking their role so seriously. I look forward to working with the new trustees to set the foundations for the Trust’s work in the months and years ahead.”
Jon Collins added: “Given the high-profile nature of the Trust and the importance of its work, we knew these appointments would be closely scrutinised. Having made a commitment to the industry and to parliament that the board would be representative of roles, regions and characteristics, we are delighted to unveil such a strong set of trustees.”
PHOTO: (L-R) Adem Holness, Wendy Smith, John Cornwell, Steve Lamacq, Estelle Wilkinson, Kirsty McShannon (chair), David Laing, David Jones, James Ainscough, Victoria Smith and Jon Collins (credit: Dan Corbett)
