24-05-2025
Why Island theatre closures are a leadership failure
There's a lot in the news right now about Ventnor Winter Gardens — and rightly so.
The anger and dismay over the state of that iconic 1930s building is loud and growing.
It mirrors the public outcry we've seen around Ryde Theatre in recent years: beautiful, significant spaces in the heart of our communities falling into disrepair, with only the bare minimum being done to keep them standing.
A couple of sticking plasters here and there, but no real effort to encourage — or require — their current owners to do anything meaningful with them.
But not every theatre was lost to the same fate. Back in 2013, when the council was offloading its cultural assets in a short-sighted cost-cutting drive, Shanklin Theatre was handed not to a private landlord, but to a community group.
That decision changed everything. An awesome team of community champions stepped up — people who cared deeply about the space and wanted it to thrive.
With a phenomenal team of volunteers and smart, audience-focused programming, they've created a jam-packed schedule that fills the theatre's 615 seats most nights of the week.
Back in 2010, the council saw these venues as financial drains. But it wasn't the buildings that were the problem — it was how they were being used.
With better programming, more ambitious thinking, and broader access for community groups, these spaces could have been assets rather than burdens.
Now, instead of lively theatres, we're left with empty eyesores the council can't do anything about. It was a colossal mistake — and one with a lesson we still need to learn.
We're right to point the finger at neglectful landlords when our historic theatres crumble — but let's not forget who sold them off in the first place.
The Isle of Wight Council's role in the long-term loss of venues like Ryde Theatre is a chapter worth re-reading.
And speaking of Ryde Theatre: remember that election banner with council leader Phil Jordan's face draped across the front, as if he was the man to save it?
Well, he's had a bonus year in power — is he going to use it to finally sort this problem out?
Ryde Town Council washed their hands of it. A trust was formed. Another group appeared. But that's just led to background squabbling between factions, while no one seems to be getting any closer to getting the keys.
All the while, a grand building continues to crumble.
A brilliant, community-led report by the Friends of Ryde Theatre laid out a clear, viable vision for the building's future.
It was thoughtful, practical, and inspiring — but about as likely to happen as me growing wings and flying up the clock tower.
The other group delivered a presentation on a flashy, London-style redevelopment, complete with promises of a 'well-known photographer' backing it.
I'm sure most of us could come up with a dream wishlist for these incredible spaces, but without the keys, they're just that — dreams.
This isn't just nostalgia or sentimentality. Theatres, when alive and well, deliver massive economic and social benefits. Audiences spend money — on food, drink, transport, babysitters — before and after a show.
These spaces employ local people, offer training and creative opportunity, and give young talent a reason to stay on the Island. The knock-on effect is real, and measurable.
But bringing them back isn't enough. Once open, these venues need to be programmed smartly.
They should grow audiences, respond to local need, and play their part in the Island's cultural ecosystem — from fringe theatre and touring bands to community shows and education work.
Just look at Strings in Newport — a powerhouse for local and touring music — or the way we throw on flower crowns and wellies and pack out the Festival every June.
We've got the talent, the stories, the visitors, the community will. The demand is there.
What's missing is space — and leadership with the guts and vision to bring these venues back into public hands, invest in them properly, and deliver a bold, ambitious programme we can all be proud of.
Because a place without theatres is a place without a proper stage to tell its stories. And right now, far too many curtains are closed.
