Margate grassroots music venue Where Else? is facing closure at the end of this month unless urgent funds can be raised.
The venue is appealing for community support to help reach its £40,000 crowdfunding target and secure its future – but only has three weeks left to raise the funds.
Launched in December, the crowdfunder is currently nearing 50% of its £40,000 goal, but the team warns that without further backing, the venue in The Centre may be forced to shut its doors indefinitely.
The appeal follows a challenging year marked by unpredictable income, rising costs, and a temporary licensing issue that significantly impacted the venue’s ability to trade. Despite continuing to operate shows on a corkage-only basis during the licence disruption, losing the ability to sell alcohol and being required to close by 11pm resulted in a substantial drop in revenue.
The team behind Where Else? have taken steps to protect the venue, operating with a skeleton staff, personally absorbing financial shortfalls and maintaining programming wherever possible.
But they now warn that without immediate community support; the venue may face closure at the end of January.
Launched as Elsewhere in 2018 and later renamed Where Else? The venue was founded as a space for Margate to gather, experiment, and nurture emerging talent. It has rapidly become a home for early-career musicians, experimental artists, industry newcomers, and a wide demographic of music fans from teens to long-established gig-goers.
Recent programming highlights include a sold-out Lambrini Girls show at Dreamland, paired the same night with a sold-out Tunng show at Where Else? underscoring the essential role of grassroots rooms in developing new artists.
A spokesperson for Where Else? said: “This venue was built for Margate. We’ve done everything we can behind the scenes for the past year to stay afloat, but we are now at a crossroads. With community support, not only can we survive, we can grow, build, and offer more than ever before.”
The venue’s £40,000 target will enable Where Else? to:
- Clear £15,000 of legacy debt
- Pay overdue supplier invoices
- Settle a critical VAT bill
- Recover lost income from the licence disruption
- Repay personal credit used to support the venue
- Stabilise cashflow through the quieter months
The spokesperson added: “Grassroots venues operate on razor-thin margins. A single interruption can destabilise an entire season. The dissolved licence cost us our busiest trading period, and we’ve reached the limits of what we can shoulder ourselves.”
If the crowdfunder succeeds, Where Else? plans to implement a range of initiatives designed to create long-term sustainability and expand community offerings, including:
- A community-focused downstairs space for workshops and local organisations
- Affordable monthly rehearsal space for Margate bands
- Continued support for the in-house community-led radio station
- A new upstairs co-working space
- A communal rehearsal area for local creatives
- Pop-up food events to diversify income
- More consistent opening hours
- A record club and community listening sessions
- Additional club nights following gig events
The team say: “These plans aren’t distant ideas. They’re have been in the works for a long time – we just need enough stability to bring them to life.”
Supporters can donate and find out more via the crowdfunder: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-where-else
Additional details local democracy reporter Daniel Esson
The licensing issue in November and early December meant the venue was unable to sell alcohol and was required to close by 11pm, causing a sharp drop in income.
“It was a freak error that led to dire consequences,” co-founder Clarke said.
He explained that the alcohol licence was originally held by a private company he set up, but when the business transitioned into a community interest company, the private firm – which held the licence – was dissolved. The annual licence re-registration fee was also paid late.
“The bar is the primary revenue stream,. We still honoured the gigs we had booked in because obviously we’d have lost money on deposits on artists,” he said.
“To take shows off the road would be a travesty.”
During the disruption, the venue operated on a corkage-only basis, allowing customers to bring their own drinks for a fee.
All business crowd funds…it’s called providing something the public want and making a profit. All these arty places in Margit seem to operate on a “field of dreams” basis. Build it and the will come. 🫣
The public do want it, but the current post COVID environment has been hard on all forms of entertainment. I go regularly as it’s the only venue in Kent which has music artists on the way up- everywhere else has tribute acts or fossils. So I have contributed as it’s a great venue when it’s packed. It’s also all ages groups: Self Esteem is a good example. Music venues are closing nationwide and you won’t miss it until it’s gone and there’s nowhere left to play in Kent.
Everywhere else has tribute acts or fossils? My lad and his mates believed in their talent and have a full diary of pub and club gigs for the entire year.
You should’ve seen Margate pre-Turner. The Ship, The Royal Oak, The Millenium Bar, The Lido… every Friday and Saturday night there was a choice of local bands. I even did a fw gigs myself!
And Pisces and The Cottage back in the ’90s!
Art killed Margate stone dead.
The photo shows 100 or more people crammed in there.
Where are all those people now ?
If they have not been attending regularly and spending their money – the place is simply not viable or sustainable.
John. All of the photos are taken outside the venue. What the residents of the flats above Peacocks make of it I have no idea.
In the past I have been stopped from going outside a pub with my drink. I do not know if this is law, licence restrictions to stop drinking in the street or just the pub I was in being respectful to their neighbours.
Maybe Councillor Yates could clarify because he is pictured with a drink in hand.
Not sure if it was following a legal requirement or just the venue’s policy, but when I worked at Margate Winter Gardens 15-20 years ago we only let them go outside with alcohol if the drinks were in plastic beakers (and that was on the seafront promenade, so didn’t disturb nearby residents).
Everywhere else has tribute acts or fossils? My lad and his mates believed in their talent and have a full diary of pub and club gigs for the entire year.
I find this genuinely sad, because no one wants to see a grassroots venue disappear, especially one that clearly means a lot to so many people. The team has been open about what the money is needed for, and that honesty deserves recognition.
However, it is hard to ignore the sense that this risks becoming another cycle of mismanagement unless something fundamentally changes. Licensing compliance, VAT, and cashflow planning are not optional or unforeseeable challenges in this sector; they are basic requirements. Crowdfunding may resolve the immediate crisis, but without stronger governance and professional oversight, it only postpones the next one.
Community support should be a bridge to long-term stability, not a recurring emergency measure. If this venue is to survive and thrive, it needs not just goodwill and creativity, but robust financial management and experienced leadership brought into ensure these problems do not keep repeating themselves…..
Maybe they could arrange a benefit gig there with top female singer Self Esteem who played there previously as that would be an instant sold out gig
Never heard of her & from looking no hit songs. Isn’t Helen Shapiro available or don’t we know?
That UKIP bird from Whitstable might be available.
MissusKent! Just remembered her name. Not a bad singer actually, and quite nice looking too!
She’s touring with The Ink Spots.
If I were to struggle as an author, could people help me clear debt, pay overdue supplier invoices, settle a critical VAT bill, repay personal credit used and stabilise cashflow through the quieter months please?
Or would they just tell me to go forth and multiply, and get a proper job?
You could ask. I mean, you’ve not done anything to support the people around you, and you seem thoroughly loathsome so I can’t imagine there’s much call to support you.
What makes you so sure I’ve “not done anything to support the people around you”? Matter of fact, I’ve raised thousands doing charity cycle rides over the years, as well as lots of volunteering in charity shops… and you’ve done?
Well that’s strange as I’ve never seen you working in any of the local charity shops in Birchington / Westgate or come into the one that I volunteer in
What one do you volunteer in? I’ll donate some books.
“…thoroughly loathesome…” high praise indeed!!
He’s a poet (and he really knows it).
Connor Sansby- “is” not “seems”.
Reported (again).
Connor Sansby is what?
Connor Sansby- Peter Checksfield is indeed thoroughly loathsome.
Yeah, loads already do. It’s called patreon, or, @buymeacoffee… though you have to provide something of worth that people want to be involved with and share and going off amazon sakes rankings, yeaaaah.
OK for those who are lazy and have no self-respect.
Best wishes to Where Else? Hope the appeal is successful 🤞
That is what it is-thought it was a legal cannabis shop, art hub or throwback to 1990’s rave culture from the outside decor. Sorry, but if you need 40k just to keep going then there is no future-you will still owe suppliers money, owe the taxman etc you aren’t a well run & profitable business, all your new plans will take big money & that 40k will soon be burnt through.
This ‘temporary’ issue around selling grog & their opening hours suggests a major issue around anti-social behaviour & under-age people being served there? Of course no details are provided & searching finds nothing, but hard to think why else their licence would have been pulled & opening times cut back.
The only reason the Turner has survived is because of council & arts funding, the only reason the ‘art’ place at Woolworths survived is because some rich donor saved them at the last second. The black hair lectures, street dancing & other such money for old rope nonsense didn’t survive-because the money is getting tighter than ever & such drivel masquerading under the arts & culture can no longer be remotely justified. They are not money making ventures & unless you are in with the right people at county/local councils & arts councils you can go whistle, while others will keep getting millions thrown at them.
Very well put.
How many times has this place had to hold out its begging bowl for cash to survive. The big hint here is put on gigs people will actually attend in numbers rather than really niche acts that attract 6 people.
They should book Gerry Sadowitz, he’ll fill the place!
Not much business acumen here,this time next year they will be asking again for more money,maybe more than £40k
Mrs Ben Dover and Peter checksfield.you are both absolutely right,poor management, over spending and now ask for bills to be paid .
Still waiting for someone to explain why/how they had “temporary” licensing issues. If it was because of (say) under-age drinkers or rowdy behavior, surely it could make a difference to people’s decision on whether to help fund it?
Have a read of the blurb in the crowdfunder link at the bottom of the article Peter.
Definitely some red flags it you intend to share some of your hard earned cash.
Having a load of VAT outstanding is a definite red flag. This would have been collected by the business and should have been ringfenced for onward payment. It’s one of the business fundamentals. The VAT isn’t part of your income. You’re holding it temporarily ready to pass on to HMRC.
Was with the idea of supporting them until I saw donors would be helping pay off personal credit card bills of the owners. Ew.