What Corn Exchange Newbury does

Corn Exchange Newbury, legally The Corn Exchange (Newbury) Trust (registered charity 1080567), is a UK multi-venue performing arts and community centre headquartered in Newbury, West Berkshire. The trust operates the historic Corn Exchange building (an 18th-century venue with a main auditorium and a 40-seat cinema with accessible screenings), the newly redeveloped Old Library (a 1905–6 Carnegie Library transformed in 2025 into a 94-seat studio theatre, flexible workshop spaces, and a second Café Bar), The Base at Greenham Business Park (gallery and workshops), and 101 Outdoor Arts (a National Centre for Arts in Public Space serving a UK and international audience). Programme reach spans comedy, dance, theatre, music, family entertainment, film, and creative participation for children, schools, and over-55s.

The business model is a hybrid charity/commercial operation. Ticket sales include a £1.25 per-ticket booking fee on live events and 75p on films, with capped fees for schools/groups and exemptions for Corn Exchange Companions members. Ancillary revenue comes from Café Bars (wood-fired pizzas, plastic-free sweet shoppe, pre-show ordering), venue hire for visiting companies and private events, the Name a Seat appeal (£500 for a five-year plaque), and the Companions membership programme with loyalty benefits. Distribution operates through 24/7 online booking, a phone box office (Tue–Sat plus performance Sundays), an in-person counter, and an SMS-based pre-show ordering system. Website infrastructure runs on Servd Hosting (renewable energy supplier) built by Kindera.

Sustainability and community engagement are central to operations. The trust holds the Bronze Plastic Free Newbury Award (2023) and is pursuing Silver, having eliminated an estimated 9,000 annual single-use sweet wrappers, switched to Marshfield ice cream and Clipper Tea, installed sensor taps (70% water-usage reduction) and 95% LED lighting, and launched a Too Good to Go food-waste profile in January 2025. The Ageing Creatively programme (2021–May 2025), funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, engaged 26,400+ people in 2,800+ sessions; the Memory Café has run monthly since January 2015; and Youth Theatre has grown to 140+ members. Capital partners include Greenham Trust (Old Library building owner) and Arts Council England, with the Old Library transformation raising £1.2m+ against a £1.3m target including the £100,000 public phase.

Name

Corn Exchange Newbury

Legal name

The Corn Exchange (Newbury) Trust

Website

https://cornexchangenew.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1905

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Corn Exchange Newbury (The Corn Exchange (Newbury) Trust) is a UK registered charity operating a multi-venue arts centre in West Berkshire — the historic Corn Exchange, the Old Library studio theatre, The Base gallery, and 101 Outdoor Arts — delivering live performance, cinema, creative participation, and community programmes for families, young people, schools, and over-55s.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Venue

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Multipurpose Event Center Operations (Civic Centers, Community Event Complexes) (MPAGALAE)

Keywords

• Performing arts venue
• Live entertainment shows
• Community arts programmes
• Cinema screenings
• Arts education workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Newbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from live events, theatre, comedy, music, dance, circus performances and cinema screenings. Booking fees apply: £1.25 per ticket for live events, 75p for films/exhibitions. Corn Exchange Companions are exempt from booking fees.
2. Café Bar and Food Services: Café Bar serving drinks, snacks, pizzas (wood-fired Romana twelve-inch pizzas), ice cream (Marshfield supplier), and the Plastic Free Classic Sweet Shoppe. Pre-show pizza pre-ordering available. Old Library Café Bar also operational.
3. Venue Hire: Corn Exchange auditorium and spaces available for hire to visiting companies and private events. Technical information and visiting company support provided.
4. Name a Seat Campaign: Charitable donations of £500 for personalised seat plaques in the Old Library studio theatre (5-year term). Business seat naming subject to VAT.
5. Membership Programme: Corn Exchange Companions membership programme offering benefits including booking fee exemptions. Also loyalty cards at Café Bars.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Corn Exchange Newbury operates a multi-venue performing arts centre in West Berkshire, UK, presenting live theatre, comedy, music, dance, circus performances, and cinema screenings from a historic 18th-century auditorium, a 40-seat cinema, the Old Library creative hub (with a 94-seat studio theatre), and The Base at Greenham Business Park. The Trust also runs structured community participation programmes, including Youth Theatre (140+ members aged 4–14+), the long-running Memory Café for people living with dementia, the National Lottery-funded Ageing Creatively programme for over-55s, workshops and courses, school engagement projects, and an in-house Café Bar with wood-fired pizzas and a plastic-free sweet shoppe. Revenue is generated through ticket sales, booking fees, food and beverage, venue hire, and charitable donations and grants.

Product overview

Corn Exchange Newbury is a multi-venue arts centre offering a diverse portfolio of entertainment and community programmes. The core offerings include a 40-seat cinema with accessible screenings, live theatre and performance in the main auditorium, and the Café Bar serving wood-fired pizzas and treats. The organisation operates the newly opened Old Library as a creative hub with studio theatre and flexible spaces, runs Youth Theatre (140+ members) and Memory Café for dementia support, and delivers the Ageing Creatively programme reaching 26,000+ participants. Additional venues include 101 Outdoor Arts (National Centre for Outdoor Arts) and The Base in Greenham for exhibitions and workshops. Supplementary services include gift vouchers and Secure My Booking ticket protection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 101 Outdoor Arts: National Centre for Arts in Public Space providing residency and training opportunities for the Outdoor Arts sector nationally and internationally
• The Base
• The Old Library
• Memory Café
• Ageing Creatively
• Youth Theatre

Products and services

• Corn Exchange Cinema A 40-seat cinema with purple covered seats, red carpet, and blue lighting offering mainstream, indie/foreign, subtitled, relaxed, and dementia-friendly screenings. Open to the general public in Newbury town centre.
• Corn Exchange Auditorium (Live Events) The main historic auditorium hosting live performances including comedy, dance, theatre, music, family shows, and circus acts, with upcoming examples such as Dreamcoat Stars, Michelle Wolf, and Richard Jones: The Sound of Magic. Ticketed to the general public.
• Café Bar On-site café serving daily treats, wood-fired Romana pizzas (Margherita, Pepperoni, Ortolana), beers, wines, hot drinks, pre-show dining, and the plastic-free Classic Sweet Shoppe. Located at both the Corn Exchange and the Old Library; open to ticketed audiences and walk-in customers.
• Old Library Transformed 1905-6 Carnegie Library offering a 94-seat studio theatre, two flexible workshop/event spaces, and a Café Bar. Provides a permanent home for creative wellbeing and participation programmes, courses, and small-scale performances.
• Memory Café Monthly creative and social sessions for people living with dementia and their carers, featuring artist-led activities, music sessions with Berkshire Music Trust, visual arts, and movement practitioners. Delivered in partnership with Dementia Friendly West Berkshire and Fair Close Day Centre.
• Youth Theatre Infant and Junior Youth Theatre programme for children and young people aged 4–14+, with over 140 members developing performing arts skills through weekly sessions and annual productions. Bursaries (Olibob Bursaries) supported by the Olibob Arts Foundation.
• Workshops and Courses Learning Centre offering creative workshops and short courses for the public, including Summer Sessions: Musical Theatre Dance, Create and Make holiday clubs, theatre workshops, and skills development programmes. No booking fees are charged.
• Ageing Creatively Programme Five-year programme for adults aged 55+ offering Afternoon Dance, Creative Club, Sing 55, Dare to Dance, Memory Café, Touch to See, Words Together, and Making Music Making Friends sessions, delivered in libraries, care homes, village halls, day centres, and assisted living centres across West Berkshire.
• 101 Outdoor Arts National Centre for Arts in Public Space providing residency and training opportunities for the Outdoor Arts sector nationally and internationally, based at The Base on Greenham Business Park.
• The Base Multi-purpose arts venue in Greenham hosting exhibitions (including Wildlife Photographer of the Year), workshops, art classes, Gallery Lates events, and the Festival of Arts and Crafts. Open to the public.
• Gift Vouchers Gift vouchers available for any occasion, redeemable for events, shows, and performances at the Corn Exchange Newbury.
• Secure My Booking (Ticket Refund Protection) Optional third-party ticket refund protection offered at checkout for £1.75 per ticket, covering accidents, illness, severe weather, rail strikes, and other unforeseen circumstances; non-refundable even if the show is cancelled.
• Venue Hire Hire of the Corn Exchange auditorium and event spaces to visiting touring companies, promoters, and private/corporate event organisers, with visiting company information and technical support provided.

Quantifiable outcome

• 26,400+ people engaged through Ageing Creatively programme over 5 years with 2,800+ sessions
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• IndigominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaborated with Indigo in 2024 to take part in their Act Green survey, reaching out to audiences about attitudes towards the climate emergency and role of cultural organisations.
• Plastic Free CommunitiesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Awarded Bronze Plastic Free Newbury Award. Partnership focuses on tackling single-use plastic usage. Currently working towards Silver Award.
• Berkshire Music TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership delivering engaging music sessions for Memory Café participants for the past five years. Musicians from Berkshire Music Trust provide regular music sessions as part of the dementia support programme.
• Dementia Friendly West BerkshirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership ensuring Memory Café sessions remain connected to wider local dementia activity. Provides dementia awareness training for staff and volunteers.
• Fair Close Day CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership connecting Memory Café with lunch clubs and establishing links with local schools through intergenerational sessions.
• MarshfieldminorOthersChosen as ice cream supplier for Café Bar due to impressive environmental impact statement. Marshfield ice cream is plastic-free and organic, reducing carbon footprint.
• Clipper TeaminorOthersSwitched to Clipper Tea which stopped sealing teabags with plastic in 2018, eliminating microplastics as part of the Bronze Plastic Free Newbury Award requirements.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Watermill Theatre: Independent producing theatre in Newbury, West Berkshire offering drama, musicals, comedy and community participation programmes. Directly comparable as a local competitor for the same audience and donor base, with a comparable headcount scale and mixed ticket/donation revenue model.
• The Anvil: Basingstoke's main multi-purpose performing arts venue hosting comedy, music, dance, family events and community programmes, operated by a charitable trust. Closely comparable multi-format programming mix, regional West Berkshire/Hampshire catchment and trust-operated governance model.
• South Hill Park Arts Centre: Multi-venue arts centre in Bracknell offering theatre, cinema, galleries, workshops and a creative learning programme. Highly comparable as a regional charitable multi-venue operation with a similar mix of ticketed performance, education and community engagement.
• Norden Farm Centre for the Arts: Charity-run arts centre in Maidenhead presenting theatre, comedy, music, dance, cinema, workshops and family events. Closely comparable in scale, programming breadth, charitable structure and reliance on community participation income streams.
• Arlington Arts Centre: Multi-purpose arts venue in Newbury (Mary Hare School) offering music, comedy, drama, cinema, exhibitions and community workshops. Closely comparable as a same-town arts venue competing for the same West Berkshire audiences and community programme participants.

Regional players

• Theatre Royal Winchester: Historic regional theatre in Winchester presenting touring drama, comedy, music, dance and family shows with a strong education and outreach programme. Comparable as a regional theatre presenting touring work with a charitable/community engagement function, though serving a different South Hampshire catchment.
• Oxford Playhouse: Major producing and receiving theatre in Oxford presenting drama, comedy, music and dance with a Take Part education and participation programme. Comparable for its presenting/programming role and community participation work, though operating at a larger scale and in a different regional market.
• Reading Rep Theatre: Producing and presenting theatre in Reading with a strong education and community engagement focus. Comparable as a Berkshire-adjacent producing/presenting venue with mixed ticketed and outreach activity, though at a smaller scale and with a different artistic remit.
• New Theatre Royal Portsmouth: Historic presenting theatre in Portsmouth hosting touring drama, comedy, music and pantomime, with a community and education programme. Comparable presenting model and mixed ticket/donation revenue, though located in a different South Coast catchment.

Others

• The National Centre for Arts in Public Space (analogous peers: Without Walls / ISAN): ISAN (Independent Street Arts Network) and Without Walls consortium are the closest sector-level peers to 101 Outdoor Arts, the Trust's national outdoor-arts subsidiary. Comparable as ecosystem/industry-development bodies in the outdoor arts sector, though they are membership organisations rather than venues.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/cornexchange
• Xx.com/cornexchange
• Facebookfacebook.com/cornexchange

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Corn Exchange Newbury