Make Noise Studio: £30k needed to save Sheffield rehearsal rooms facing eviction for developer's car park

If you had wanted to make a racket with a band of your own, but had no kit, no funding, and neighbours/housemates/parents who wouldn’t put up with the noise - where would you go?

Make Noise Studio, in Trinity Street, off Scotland Street, has provided an answer to that question to dozens of bands since it launched three years ago.

With eight rehearsal rooms, a space for concerts, free equipment, and indie credibility, it houses nearly half of all of Sheffield’s rehearsal rooms and is where scores of bands call home.

But that could all change soon.

“Any one of the artists we see here could be the next Arctic Monkeys or Richard Hawley,” head of events Chico Couto told The Star.

“We give some bands their first ever gigs. We hold Freshers here, we had Tramlines Fringe here, we’re offer alternative provision education for kids - but in the end, we’re a place where people can come and Make Noise.

“It would be a lot for Sheffield to lose.”

The studio has been warned they will likely be evicted before the end of November so developers can flatten the area and build a car park and flats.

This wasn’t even a problem in itself for the studio. Chico claims the team have already secured funding to move to the former Avalon Studio, near Corporation Nightclub, in Milton Street, by the end of the year.

However, the loss of the studio on Trinity Street has cost the team a £25,000 contract with an education provider in the city that was using Make Noise for lessons.

Then, to make matters worse, energy provider EDF has reportedly handed them a £6,500 bill after miscalculating their rates for nearly three years.

It’s left the team facing the otherwise fully-funded move to their new studio with a £30,000 hole in their finances, which will likely ruin them within 12 months.

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“It’s been a lot of challenges building up one on top of the other,” said Chico. “We’ve been looking for a solution for months, but we’ve simply run out of time.

“Now, we’re turning to Sheffield for help to keep Make Noise alive in the future.”

Make Noise has now launched a fundraising campaign to shore up their finances and give them a chance to carry on at their new studio.

Visit Make Noise’s Crowdfunding page here.

Chico said: “The money will make sure we can carry on at the new studio without firing anyone or and cushion the loss of business while we find new contracts.

“Anyone who can support us through our fundraiser will be hugely appreciated - but anyone is free to help out by grabbing some friends, coming to a gig and buying a drink. We want to fight this battle with good energy and vibes, so help us make the last memories of this fantastic building absolutely memorable.”

Rewards for donations that help them towards their £30,000 target include having donors’ names inscribed on bricks at the new studio, a personal karaoke party on the house, and having one of the four new rehearsal rooms named after you.