Congratulations to Ventnor Arts Club, which celebrated its tenth anniversary last month.
On the site of the former NatWest bank, which operated on Ventnor’s High Street until November 2011, the Arts Club has been a very welcome addition to the town.
Izatt: “Went out to get some eggs and bread”
The venue is owned by Stephen Izatt, who bought the building in the Summer of 2012.
He explained,
“I went out to get some eggs and bread one morning and saw the For Sale sign on the building, I went back and told my partner that I thought I could do something interesting with it. She said – do it then.
“She’s mentioned several times since, she didn’t expect me to actually do it.”
Those who know Steve, will know that when he does something, he makes sure he does it properly and that’s exactly what happened at the former bank.
Ventnor Fringe secret gig
After the sale had gone through, Steve made the building safe and opened as a bare bones ‘Secret Venue’ for four days of 2012’s Ventnor Fringe Festival, hosting the wonderful Tallulah and The Black Gang for their first gig.
Restored original art deco features
Steve explained what happened next,
“After that Fringe, we closed to refurbish the building for what we thought would be a couple of months. However, as we took down the internal cladding and acoustic tiles, we discovered all the original art deco features like the ceiling and the wood features [see photos of the transformation].
“We then felt a responsibility to restore it all. In the end it took us seven months, but it was worth it.”
Official opening
Ventnor Arts Club officially opened on 11th February 2013. The venue has gone on to host a myriad of events, from live music to comedy, film screenings to talks and wine tastings – it even has its own bridge club.
Offering a diverse programme of events, you’re guaranteed to see something that you might not find elsewhere on the Island, like the Indian blues fusion trio Mitra, who wowed everybody on their two visits to the Club.
Artists fall in love with Ventnor
Ventnor Arts Club has brought musicians from France, America, Belgium and of course, the Mainland.
They too have discovered and fallen in love with Ventnor and often return having been initially hard to convince.
Hundreds of independent and world films have been screened, they’ve hosted countless talks and supported many charities and local societies.
Groundbreaking deal for live broadcasts
That’s not all, as Steve explained,
“We also negotiated viable terms to receive National Theatre, Royal Opera House, NYC Met performances and many more live broadcasts via our satellite system.
“It was a groundbreaking deal at the time which paved the way for many other small remote venues around the country.
“Almost all our events are open to everyone. But if you support us by becoming a member, you get priority booking and free or cheaper tickets for events. Many things like the community talks are free to all.”
The time, energy and money that Steve has invested in Ventnor Arts Club have made it what it is today, but not without the help of some amazing staff over the years.
Izatt: I hope we’re adding real value to Ventnor and to people’s lives
Steve finished by saying,
“I feel over the ten years we’ve found what people want from us and made it happen. It takes time to get these things right, but I hope we’re adding real value to Ventnor and to people’s lives.
“The real payback for us is seeing guests talking and developing friendships, sparked by a thought-provoking film, a powerful opera, an Alabama bluesman or a wine tasting session.
“And the biggest asset we have, is the warmest welcome and the brightest smile from our wonderful manager, Wendy.”
A’int that the truth. Well done Steve, Wendy and the team. Here’s to the next ten years.
See Ventnor Arts Club Website to find out more about membership and upcoming events.
Image: © Julian Winslow
