Style speaks: to Mhairi Macaulay

Style speaks

to Director at Ventnor Exchange Mhairi Macaulay

Mhairi (pronounced Var-ee) Macaulay grew up on the Island, and she’s a very impressive role model for anyone wanting to make creative things happen. In 2010, aged just 18, she established the now hugely successful Ventnor Fringe festival with her friends, saying, “We loved the local festivals, and decided we wanted to run our own event here. We had no experience at all but went for it anyway.” After moving away to complete a fine art degree in London, she made the bold decision to return to Ventnor, and continue her passion to support young up-and-coming creative artists by developing the edgy Fringe. She helped establish community arts hub Ventnor Exchange eight years ago, saying, “The exchange exists to provide a yearround Fringe atmosphere in the town, so the same sense of community, theatre, arts, and music would be ingrained in day to day life. It began as a specialist craft beer bar, record shop, and theatre because there was a gap for those things on the Island back then.” Mhairi shares her diverse Exchange responsibilities, from managing every aspect of the Fringe to working behind the Exchange bar, with friend, fellow Fringe founder and company Director Jack Whitewood. Supported by an enthusiastic young team, they’re full of innovative ideas to help make the Island a better place. Mhairi’s particularly proud of their youth platform Brave Island. “We feel strongly about young people being engaged in creative opportunities because we grew up here, and knew things were lacking. With Brave Island, local 14-25 year olds can sign up to the website which provides artistic opportunities to develop their careers, and generally enrich their lives.” As well as hosting an eclectic mix of performances and workshops, the Exchange also runs events outside the building, like the recent IOW Children’s Festival in Newport. Mhairi says, “Everything we do at the Exchange helps bring together people of all ages, from all walks of life, who might not necessarily see each other; it’s about joy in people. We want people to come on a journey with us. The vibe here is about taking risks and trying something new, and everyone who gets involved and interacts with it becomes part of the story. It’s taken on a life of its own, and I really love that.”

Style is? Just being yourself, choosing things you like. Money equals success? Not when you’re running an arts organisation. We do it to make stuff happen, for art and creativity for creativity’s sake. What does Island living mean to you? It’s a balance with nature. I love walking and swimming in the sea all year round, and it has a really good friendly community. Icons or Inspirations? I recently loved watching Lizzo’s ‘Watch Out For The Big Grrrls’ where she searched for big girl backing dancers. She’s really inspiring big girls to dance, and therefore, me! Blunders and what you learned? We’ve made loads of mistakes, but they’re really important because we always learn from them. Mistakes help us work out where we need to be. Top tips? If you want to run an event, start a project, or try doing something new, you just have to do it; no one will do it for you. Be determined and find your tribe to help you get there. Facing the future? We’ve got lots of ideas. We don’t like doing the same things for too long, so we’re always trying to evolve.