Music café marks first year with £10k giveaway

The Bluebird Café is a place aimed at helping emerging South West musicians

A Somerset café also serving as a small music venue is celebrating its first anniversary by giving £10,000 to its local community.

Bluebird Café and Bar in Wedmore opened its doors to the public at the end of May 2023.

With an aim to support its community and emerging local musicians, the venue said it would mark its "successful" first year by offering grants to a variety of local clubs and societies.

Café owners Andy Daintree and Ian Scott planned to distribute funding to the successful applicants during a presentation evening on Thursday 4 July.

Andy Daintree (left) and Ian Scott (right) say they wanted to create a venue that was intimate but also big enough to for musicians to perform

The Bluebird has become known for its daytime café and music venue - showcasing live performances every week.

It said it had become a regular place for village clubs such as the Women's Institute, Men’s Shed and the Green Group, to meet.

Owner, Andy Daintree said the café was becoming one of the "best small music venues in the South West".

Mr Daintree added: “Most of the performers who come to us are emerging talent and we are giving them a platform."

'More than just music'

Set up as a not-for-profit business, Bluebird Café owner and musician, Ian Scott, reiterated that it was more than "just music", stating that the community was at the heart of the café.

Mr Scott said the "real issue" for musicians and singer-songwriters was a lack of a demand for musicians to play in pubs due to rising costs.

He said: "Often, when a pub is paying for a musician they want them to do covers rather than play the music that they have written, so it can be really hard for singer-songwriters to find a space to perform."

The café said it planned to introduce local school music competitions next year as well as continuing to showcase music talent.