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Venue (magazine)
Encyclopedia
Venue is the what's on magazine for the Bristol
and Bath areas of the UK.
It was founded in 1982 by journalists who had been working for another Bristol magazine, Out West, which had been consciously modelled on London
's Time Out magazine.
Published fortnightly, Venue gained a reputation for the quality and authority of its coverage of the local arts and entertainments scene. It played a leading part in re-establishing Ashton Court Festival
and was an early champion of the Bristol Sound, particularly when edited by John Mitchell in the early 1990s. It continues to play a significant role in nurturing and promoting local art, theatre, film and music.
It also has a reputation for investigative reporting of local issues, including health
, policing, local politics
and environmental
matters. Venue also features a lot of humour and satire which many find attractive, but which is occasionally criticised as puerile. It may be worth noting that stand-up comedian Mark Watson and comedy scriptwriter Stephen Merchant
both worked for Venue when they were younger. Author and reviewer Kim Newman
contributes regularly. Another author, Eugene Byrne
, one of the magazine's founders, is still involved with it as Consulting Editor.
In 2000 the company was sold to Bristol United Press (BUP), the company which runs the Bristol Evening Post
and Western Daily Press
newspapers. BUP in turn is owned by the Northcliffe Newspaper Group, part of the Daily Mail & General Trust group. The takeover by BUP was controversial with many readers, advertisers and staff, particularly because the political outlook of the Daily Mail
is the opposite of the values proclaimed by Venue.
In 2001, Venue magazine started to publish weekly, while the company has diversified in recent years. It produces a successful controlled circulation lifestyle monthly, Folio, as well as several annual guides including Eating Out West, Drinking Out West, Days Out West, a Student Guide for Bristol and Bath and a Festival Guide. It also undertakes contract publishing, particularly for large local events such as the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
. In 2005, Venue Publishing established an in-house design agency, Bang, offering design services to external clients.
The Venue website
is one of the longest-running commercial websites in the UK, originally set up in 1995. It does not currently include event listings, but does publish several of the annual guides and includes a popular free personal advertisements section.
Venue is currently edited by Joe Spurgeon.
The magazine was briefly associated with some other provincial listings magazines in the 1980s like Manchester
's City Life
, Southampton
's Due South Magazine
and The List which covers Edinburgh
and Glasgow
. Only the latter is still publishing.
On February 22nd 2011, it was announced that Venue magazine would be closing and that the last issue would be number 962, to be sold on March 16. Ten days later it was announced that, largely as a result of the campaign to save Venue, the magazine would continue, albeit in a revised format; it would no longer be a paid-for weekly title but would be published monthly and would be free.
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and Bath areas of the UK.
It was founded in 1982 by journalists who had been working for another Bristol magazine, Out West, which had been consciously modelled on London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Time Out magazine.
Published fortnightly, Venue gained a reputation for the quality and authority of its coverage of the local arts and entertainments scene. It played a leading part in re-establishing Ashton Court Festival
Ashton Court Festival
The Ashton Court Festival was an outdoor music festival held annually in mid-July on the grounds of Ashton Court, just outside Bristol, England. The festival was a weekend event which featured a variety of local bands and national headliners...
and was an early champion of the Bristol Sound, particularly when edited by John Mitchell in the early 1990s. It continues to play a significant role in nurturing and promoting local art, theatre, film and music.
It also has a reputation for investigative reporting of local issues, including health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
, policing, local politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
and environmental
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
matters. Venue also features a lot of humour and satire which many find attractive, but which is occasionally criticised as puerile. It may be worth noting that stand-up comedian Mark Watson and comedy scriptwriter Stephen Merchant
Stephen Merchant
Stephen James Merchant is an English writer, director, radio presenter, comedian, and actor. He is best known for his collaborations with Ricky Gervais, as the co-writer and co-director of the popular British sitcom The Office, as the co-writer, co-director and a co-star of Extras, and as the...
both worked for Venue when they were younger. Author and reviewer Kim Newman
Kim Newman
Kim Newman is an English journalist, film critic, and fiction writer. Recurring interests visible in his work include film history and horror fiction—both of which he attributes to seeing Tod Browning's Dracula at the age of eleven—and alternate fictional versions of history...
contributes regularly. Another author, Eugene Byrne
Eugene Byrne
Eugene Byrne is an English freelance journalist and fiction writer.His novel ThigMOO, and the story it was based on, were nominated for the BSFA award. His story "HMS Habakkuk" was nominated for a Sidewise Award for Alternate History.He was born in Waterford in the Republic of Ireland, but was...
, one of the magazine's founders, is still involved with it as Consulting Editor.
In 2000 the company was sold to Bristol United Press (BUP), the company which runs the Bristol Evening Post
Bristol Evening Post
The Bristol Evening Post is a newspaper covering news in the city of Bristol, including stories from the whole of Greater Bristol, Northern Somerset and South Gloucestershire....
and Western Daily Press
Western Daily Press
The Western Daily Press is a regional newspaper covering parts of South West England , mainly Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset as well as the metropolitan areas of Bath and North East Somerset and the Bristol area. It is published Monday to Saturday in Bristol, UK...
newspapers. BUP in turn is owned by the Northcliffe Newspaper Group, part of the Daily Mail & General Trust group. The takeover by BUP was controversial with many readers, advertisers and staff, particularly because the political outlook of the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
is the opposite of the values proclaimed by Venue.
In 2001, Venue magazine started to publish weekly, while the company has diversified in recent years. It produces a successful controlled circulation lifestyle monthly, Folio, as well as several annual guides including Eating Out West, Drinking Out West, Days Out West, a Student Guide for Bristol and Bath and a Festival Guide. It also undertakes contract publishing, particularly for large local events such as the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
The Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is held annually during August in Bristol, England. Teams from the UK and other parts of the world bring their hot air balloons to the site and participate in mass ascents where as many as 100 balloons may launch at a time.The event was first held in 1979...
. In 2005, Venue Publishing established an in-house design agency, Bang, offering design services to external clients.
The Venue website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
is one of the longest-running commercial websites in the UK, originally set up in 1995. It does not currently include event listings, but does publish several of the annual guides and includes a popular free personal advertisements section.
Venue is currently edited by Joe Spurgeon.
The magazine was briefly associated with some other provincial listings magazines in the 1980s like Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
's City Life
City Life
City Life may refer to:* Urban culture, the culture of cities* CityLife , a 2004 urban project in Milan* City Life , a 1994 musical work by Steve Reich* City Life , a New Zealand soap opera...
, Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
's Due South Magazine
Due South Magazine
Due South was the name of a British Listings magazine which covered the cities of Southampton, Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Winchester.Due South was among a number of provincial "What's On"/Entertainment listings magazines produced during the late 1970s and early 1980s in a similar style to London's...
and The List which covers Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. Only the latter is still publishing.
On February 22nd 2011, it was announced that Venue magazine would be closing and that the last issue would be number 962, to be sold on March 16. Ten days later it was announced that, largely as a result of the campaign to save Venue, the magazine would continue, albeit in a revised format; it would no longer be a paid-for weekly title but would be published monthly and would be free.
External links
- 'Virtual Venue' website
- Some material in this entry comes from an article published in Venue in July 2001 to mark its 500th edition.