Hope Works raises more than £30,000

Famous Sheffield warehouse venue Hope Works has crowdfunded £31,000 in order to survive. The campaign achieved its goal of £30k, covering monthly running costs of around £4000 for six months. The venue also needed the public's help in order to successfully deliver a virtual version of their renowned festival, No Bounds. The music, art and techno festival was a hallmark of Sheffield's nightlife, winning DJ Mag's 'Best Boutique Festival' in 2019. Hope Works was known for not only featuring big-name artists regularly, but also nurturing an underground DJ scene, often paying just as much attention to lesser-known artists and giving them a platform to hone their skills and grow.

The list of notable artists to have performed is extensive, including Bicep, Floating Points, Daniel Avery, Shygirl, Dax J, Batu, Shackleton, Craig Richards, The Blessed Madonna, Avalon Emerson and more.

In a battle for survival that has become a familiar sight during the pandemic, Hope Works was forced to fundraise to keep the lights on and help ensure that the No Bounds festival would take place in 2021. The vital venue has been dramatically affected by Covid-19, mirroring much of the music industry. Hope Works used to regularly attract droves of Steel City residents before shutting their doors on 18th March 2020. After a mild reopening in the summer of that year, different variations of restrictions forced them to crowdfund as they were unable to operate at full capacity, economically handicapping the music venue.