Venue operator Broadwick Group has unveiled its new charity, 9.8, aimed at enhancing community engagement and accessibility at its venues, including the largest, Drumsheds.
Since opening the 15,000-capacity North London venue in September 2023, the charity has distributed 5,000 free event tickets and partnered with local charities to offer subsidised space.
Named after the Earth’s average gravitational pull of 9.8 meters per second squared, the charity aspires to create “centres of cultural gravity” where diverse groups can experience music, art, and culture.
In recent months, 9.8 collaborated with Movember for the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (pictured) and hosted the Hackney Flea Market in Tottenham. Upcoming plans include working with Broadwick Live and Aurora Orchestra to introduce local school children to orchestral music at Drumsheds.
Elisa Chiodi, who heads up 9.8, said, “Through 9.8 we will work to remove barriers and provide resources for communities and charities to use our spaces, as well as make tickets available for individuals from low-income households or who wouldn’t have access otherwise. By 2027 we aim to have worked with 100 charities, community groups and artists.”
Simeon Aldred, 9.8 founder and strategy director of Broadwick Group, said, “Accessibility, openness, and bringing people into these unusual spaces is a core part of the vision for Drumsheds and all our venues.
“Establishing the charity now provides a more structured and fair process for even more individuals, charities, and communities to engage with our venues and events. We benefit our local communities with far more than music. 9.8 is the vehicle that will amplify our social impact.”
