Porter's started life as a live music venue at Harlech Court in 2012.
More than a decade later, it has grown into something bigger: a three-storey grassroots creative arts centre in the heart of Cardiff — a place for live music, artists, audiences, ideas, friendships and the unexpected.
That growth has always been community-led. It's been shaped by the people who've worked here, performed here, danced here, collaborated here and believed in what this place could be.
And while some things have changed, the important stuff hasn't.
Kindness. Inclusivity. Treating people like humans first. Making space for creativity. Bringing people together.
That's still Porter's.
What's changing is the structure behind it.
Porter's is now a Community Interest Company (CIC).
This isn't a change of direction. It's a way of making official what Porter's has become — an organisation with a purpose rooted in culture and community — and giving that purpose a stronger foundation for the future.
A Community Interest Company is a legal structure designed for organisations that exist to benefit their communities.
For Porter's, that means our purpose is formally built into how we operate. Any surplus we generate is subject to the CIC's asset-lock rules and is used to support the organisation and its community purpose — helping us invest in the programme, the building and the people who make Porter's what it is.
In simple terms: we're building Porter's for the people who use it, make it and believe in it — not for private profit.
The new structure also gives us more opportunities to develop the organisation through charitable fundraising, social investment and strategic partnerships.
And it means stronger formal governance, with a board overseeing the organisation and helping us stay accountable to the communities we serve.
Porter's has spent more than a decade becoming part of Cardiff's independent music and arts scene.
As we've grown, so has our ambition — and so has the need to make sure Porter's can continue to exist, evolve and serve its community for the long term.
Becoming a CIC is the next step in that journey.
It helps protect the purpose that Porter's was built around while giving us more tools and opportunities to build its future. Practically, it also introduces a board of directors 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 existing grant providers and bespoke not-for-profit organisational advice and guidance from Music Venue Trust.
As founder Dan Porter 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. Handing over ownership has been a long and complicated process but I'm delighted to get it over the line. It feels exactly the right thing to do as it has been clear for even longer that Porter's belonged to everybody, not me"
The new board of directors will be chaired by David Wilson, an original co-founder of Porter's and an experienced cultural leader whose career includes roles with National Dance Company Wales, Abertystwyth Arts Centre and Theatr Brycheiniog.
David has been part of the Porter's story from the beginning. His role as chair brings that history into the next chapter.
"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 government-backed support that helped make the 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're also grateful to Cardiff Council, Music Venue Trust, and everyone who has helped make Porter's what it is — our audiences, artists, partners, staff, collaborators and supporters.
For most people, day-to-day life at Porter's will feel exactly the same.
And that's the point.
You can still come to a gig. Put on a show. Try something new. Meet friends. Hear live music. Have a pint. Discover an artist you've never heard before. Walk through the doors and find something you weren't expecting.
Porter's will remain a place where artists can experiment and develop, where audiences can connect with culture, and where people can simply come together. It just means that we have a structure that helps us put more of any success back into the people, artists and communities that make the place what it is.
What changes is what's possible.
A stronger foundation gives us more room to grow, more opportunities to work with others and more ways to support artists and our community.
Most importantly, it gives Porter's a structure designed to protect its purpose for the long term.
The next chapter
Porter's has always been about more than a building.
It's about the people inside it.
It's about what happens when artists are given space, when audiences find something new, when strangers become friends, and when a city has somewhere to meet, make noise, make things happen and belong.
That's what Porter's has been building since 2012.
Becoming a Community Interest Company means we're building it for the future, too.
Same Porter's. Same spirit. A stronger foundation for what's next.
