"How can I manage to pay all these artists when at most I get £3 each from 30 people twice a month?" DtG

I sent my previous screed before seeing Tom Bliss's comments, but if you look at the Topic website you'll see we occasionally have higher prices than normal for this autumn's 50th anniversary season. Normally it is £4 members, £5 non-members, but for acts like Vin Garbutt and Julie Felix it can be double that. Not that the club is profiteering - the entire door take goes to the artist.

You'll notice that there is a reference to "Arts Council" support on the Allan Taylor evening ("This project has received funding from Arts Council England (Musicians in Residence scheme)"), only in case the door take doesn't reach the artist's guaranteed minimum, but if you really wanted to put on a £1000 Ethiopian dance troupe it might be worth approaching some fun ding body...

Nick