Ventnor Exchange

Ventnor Exchange is an independent arts venue on Church Street, started in 2010 by a group of local young people and run as a not-for-profit. Behind a modest shopfront it fits in a small theatre and events space, a bar pouring craft beer, and a record shop that was among the first to open on the island in decades. The programme runs through the year with live music, theatre, comedy and talks, and the organisation created Ventnor Fringe, the island's largest arts festival, which takes over venues across the town each summer. It is a going concern rather than a static museum, sustaining itself through ticket sales, the bar and the record shop alongside supporters and funding. For visitors it works equally as a place to catch a show, buy vinyl, or sit with a beer between the two.