News / Nighttime Economy
Bristol to appoint new ‘night czar’ to champion venues
Bristol is set to appoint a new ambassador to champion the nighttime economy and spearhead economic recovery in the sector.
It will see the city follow in the footsteps of London and Manchester with the creation of the dedicated ‘night czar’ to support venues, bars, restaurants, clubs and cultural institutions, and help them to rebuild in the wake of the pandemic.
A job description for the new advisor position was approved by the Bristol @ Night panel on Thursday and the appointed person will not only seek to advocate for the nighttime economy but also play a key role in helping it to diversify and grow.
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It is anticipated that the ‘night czar’ – to borrow the title of the role of Amy Lamé in London – will work within Bristol’s One City Office, founded by Marvin Rees.
The Bristol advisory role, which is expected to be part-time, will be paid for by grants and contributions from developers and cultural institutions, with additional funding from Covid grants issued to Bristol City Council’s public health department by the government.
Marti Burgess, the chair of the Bristol @ Night panel and co-owner of Lakota, told Bristol24/7 the advisor will work as an advocate for the sector on both a national and local basis.
“This new advisor will be an ambassador Bristol’s fantastic night-time economy by championing the value of Bristol’s cultural venues, bars, restaurants and clubs and support the development of a more diverse range of late night cultural activities building on opportunities to diversify and grow Bristol’s evening and nighttime economy,” said Marti.
“This person will also oversee the development of a nighttime economy best practice guide, as well as commission and oversee appropriate research to ensure that city’s strategy for the recovery of the night-time economy is achievable, inclusive and balanced. We want the nighttime economy to grow and diversify, as well as be resilient and sustainable in face of many challenges that face it.”
The city’s pubs, venues and cultural organisations have been hit hard by coronavirus restrictions – photo by Martin Booth
Marvin Rees said the role will be directly accountable to the city, via the City Office.
“The importance of that role is to make sure we have a champion and some real coherence to our efforts to drive our night-time economy,” said the mayor, speaking during a press briefing on Wednesday.
“There are tens of thousands of jobs tied up and lots of small businesses [within the sector] and, particularly as we come out of Covid, we need a real clear strategy both for survival and recovery.”
He added that some developers and cultural organisations are chipping in for the role as they see the benefit in championing the hospitality, events and cultural sector, and in having “a coherent and successful approach to our night-time economy”.
Main photo by Giulia Spadafora/ Soul Media
Read more: Devastating impact of cancelled music events on Bristol’s economy
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