Porter's began as a live music venue at Harlech Court in 2012. Over the years — shaped by everyone who believed in it – the team, the artists, the audiences, the collaborators — it grew into something with deeper roots: a three-storey grassroots creative arts centre in the heart of Cardiff.
That evolution has always been community-led. We've moved beyond the days of simply "good people, good times" — though that spirit is still in our bones. Kindness, inclusivity, treating everyone like humans first — that never changes. What's deepened is our purpose: to nurture creativity, support emerging talent and help provide a space for communities to form and grow. Porter's exists to support the conditions that allow vibrant culture to flourish in Cardiff — one where everyone is welcome, social connections blossom and artists can do their best work.
What has changed now is how we're structured — and what that means for our future.
Let's be honest about something we don't always say out loud: keeping a place like this open is hard. Really hard.
Grassroots venues across the UK are closing at a rate that should worry anyone who cares about live music and independent culture — rising energy bills, insurance, rent, the basic cost of just keeping the doors unlocked and the lights on. We've felt every bit of that. There have been months where "will we make it to the next one" wasn't a dramatic question, it was just Tuesday.
With government-backed support through WCVA, Porter's has transitioned into community ownership, becoming a Community Interest Company (CIC). This isn't a change of direction. It's the structure that makes everything we've always stood for official — and most importantly, helps us keep the doors open.
A CIC (Community Interest Company) is a legal structure designed to aid organisations like us — our version exists to benefit the artists, audiences and Cardiff’s cultural life. This means any money we make is locked into the organisation and reinvested — into the programme, the building and the people who make this place what it is. It's a structure built for exactly what we've always been: an organisation that puts culture and community ahead of personal profit.
Practically, it also introduces a trustee board to oversee the organisation, making us more formally accountable to the communities we serve. And it opens doors that weren't open before — like more access to funding, including continued support from Cardiff Council and Music Venue Trust.
Porter's has spent more than a decade growing as part of Cardiff's independent music and arts scene. This transition is the next step in that journey — one that protects the venue for the long term and ensures it remains rooted in the values it was built on.
Dan Porter, co-founder of Porter's, puts it:
"This is a hugely exciting moment for Porter's. We've always been built on community spirit, creativity and making space for people. Moving into community ownership protects that future and gives us the tools to do even more."
The trustee board will be chaired by David Wilson, original co-founder of Porter's and an experienced cultural leader whose career spans some of Wales' leading arts organisations — including Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Theatr Brycheiniog and national sector bodies.
David has been part of Porter's story from the beginning. His role as chair reflects both continuity and ambition.
"Porter's has always been bigger than bricks and mortar. It is a place where people meet, perform, experiment, celebrate and belong. This new model ensures the venue remains rooted in those values, while opening the door to new investment and stronger long-term resilience."
This transition didn't happen overnight, and it didn't happen alone. We're grateful to WCVA, whose Social Investment team provided the government-backed support that made this move possible.
Alun Jones, Head of Social Investment at WCVA, said:
"We are delighted to support Porter's at this important stage in its journey. Community ownership can create stronger, more resilient organisations with deep local impact, and Porter's is a brilliant example of a venue with the ambition, track record and community value to thrive in this model."
We'd also like to thank Cardiff Council, Music Venue Trust and everyone in our community — audiences, artists, partners and supporters — whose belief in this place has made it worth protecting.
We're not telling you any of this to be bleak, or to ask for sympathy. We're saying it because it's true and because it's exactly why this change matters. Becoming a CIC doesn't magic those costs away. But it does open doors that were shut to us before — access to funding streams and support, like this move through WCVA, that simply aren't available to organisations structured the way we used to be. It gives us a fighting chance at some kind of long-term stability.
That's the honest version of what this means: it's not a victory lap. It's us finding a sturdier way to keep doing the thing we love, in the city we love, with all of you.
For most people, day-to-day life at Porter's will feel exactly the same — and that's the point. It's still a place to catch a show, pints are poured, meet friends and watch a new band try something for the first time on our stage. What changes is that we've got better tools to make sure that keeps happening for the long term. .
We're stepping into this next chapter tired in the good way, more hopeful than we've been in a while and glad to have you at the centre of it. Thank you for keeping this place worth fighting for.
