Why social value

Music has never had an impact problem.
It has had an evidence problem.

Grassroots music creates enormous value — economically, socially and culturally. It supports local economies, creates opportunities, brings people together, strengthens places and improves lives.

But believing music matters and being able to evidence exactly how it matters are two very different things.

That is where POWK comes in.

Explore Social Value See the methodology

Both of these are true. Only one of them counts.

When a funder, a council or an investor asks what a venue is worth to its place, one of these columns answers the question.

What we've always said

“Music brings people together.”

“The venue is the heart of the town.”

“That artist put us on the map.”

“Losing it would be a real shame.”

All of it true. None of it evidence.

What POWK gives you

£412,000 of local economic contribution

38 jobs supported across the year

1,900 attendances from the local authority

Confirmed by the venue, evidence-graded

The same story, in a form a decision-maker can act on.

Proven thinking. Applied to music.

POWK founder Gerard Toplass has spent much of his career building technology that helps with recognition, supporting staff and also helping organisations understand, measure and evidence the wider value they create.

Gerard founded Pagabo ↗ and Loop ↗, creating businesses that brought technology, data and social-value measurement into the UK built environment.

£3bn+

of construction activity managed by Pagabo every year

£5bn+

of social value evidenced using the group's technology and methodologies

Since 2024

that same thinking applied to grassroots music

Gerard retired from the business in March 2024, but still retains an interest. Now he is applying that experience to something he has been passionate about for decades: grassroots music.

“Music has never had an impact problem. It has had an evidence problem.”
For years we’ve said that grassroots music is important. That it supports local economies, creates culture, brings communities together and makes people feel better.
And all of that is true.
But ‘music is important’ isn’t evidence.
When you are asking for investment, applying for funding or trying to explain the importance of an artist, venue or music ecosystem to decision-makers, you need something more objective.
I’ve spent years building technology that turns complex activity into credible financial and non-financial evidence. I wanted to bring that same thinking into a sector I genuinely care about.
My co-founder Gerard Gibbons shares that belief. Together, we want to give artists and venues something they have rarely had before — the ability to see, understand and demonstrate the value they actually create.
Social value can be complex. Using it shouldn’t be.
We’ve put the complexity into the data, methodology and algorithms so the sector doesn’t have to.
Gerard Toplass
Founder, POWK

Social value, built into POWK.

POWK already provides artists, venues and the wider music industry with practical tools, data and connections designed to help make grassroots music more sustainable.

Our social-value layer adds something different. It turns that data and activity into evidence of impact — helping show what grassroots music contributes to people, places and economies across the UK.

Artists

Understand and communicate the wider impact you and your audience create.

Find your profile →

Venues

Build evidence of your economic, cultural and social contribution — from an indicative snapshot through to validated impact reporting.

Find your venue →

Places

Help councils, combined authorities and stakeholders understand the contribution their local music ecosystem makes.

Explore Place Intelligence →

Platforms & Partners

Add a social-value evidence layer to programmes, funding, investment and existing platforms.

Talk to us →