Ventnor Exchange

Ventnor Exchange will launch the new Ventnor Exchange Arena, a travelling venue that reimagines what a theatre or arts centre can be for the Isle of Wight. The Arena will spend several weeks at a time in Sandown and Newport, acting as a travelling town hall that brings people together through arts and culture.

Each stay will become the centre of a pop-up festival village, with a programme shaped together with local people. There will be a major opening and closing ceremony that people from across the Island can take part in: a large-scale theatrical retelling of the Island’s millions of years of history through puppetry, music, dance and circus, involving semi-professional performers and community groups. Between these events, the Arena will present a lively mix of circus, theatre and music, alongside a dedicated Brave Island Festival run entirely by young people.