The struggles of running an arts centre
Arts centres are among the most complex community venues to manage. Multiple spaces with different requirements, a rotating cast of artists and workshop leaders, and the constant hunt for funding.
Managing multiple creative spaces
Your arts centre might have a main hall for performances, a gallery for exhibitions, workshop rooms for classes and studio spaces for hire. Each space has different availability, pricing and setup requirements. Coordinating all of them is a logistical challenge.
Grant applications and funding deadlines
Arts Council England, National Lottery Project Grants, local authority arts funding, charitable trusts. Community arts centres depend on grants, but tracking multiple applications across different funders, each with their own deadlines and reporting requirements, is exhausting.
Invoicing artists and workshop leaders
Some users pay a flat hire rate, others pay a percentage of ticket sales, and some receive the space free as part of a funded project. Keeping track of who owes what and generating accurate invoices takes time that could be spent programming.
Building compliance for public performances
If your arts centre hosts public performances, you need to comply with entertainment licensing, fire safety for audience spaces, accessibility requirements and potentially Martyn's Law if your capacity exceeds 200. That is a lot of compliance for a volunteer-led organisation.
Features that let creativity flourish
Village Hall Hub gives arts centres the practical tools they need, so the team can spend their energy on programming rather than paperwork.
Grants Finder
Village Hall Hub comes pre-loaded with Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants, Garfield Weston Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation and 30 other UK funders. Track every application from identification to completion with deadline reminders and milestone tracking.
Learn more →Booking Calendar
Manage workshops, performances, exhibitions and studio hire on one colour-coded calendar. Set different availability for each space. Let artists and hirers check availability on your website before enquiring.
Learn more →Invoicing & Payments
Generate professional invoices with flexible line items for room hire, equipment, technical support and cleaning. Track payments and send automatic reminders. Village Hall Hub makes financial management straightforward for your treasurer.
Learn more →Compliance Dashboard
Track entertainment licensing, fire safety, electrical testing and insurance in one place. If your venue has a capacity of 200 or more, our Martyn's Law wizard helps you prepare for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025.
Learn more →Team Management
Give your director, programme coordinator, technician and board members the right access levels. Everyone sees what they need within Village Hall Hub, and you can remove access instantly when volunteers or staff move on.
Learn more →Meeting Minutes
Record board meetings and programming meetings with proper agendas, minutes and action items. Download professional PDF minutes for your governance records and funding reports. Essential for Arts Council reporting.
Learn more →We have four different spaces and dozens of workshop leaders using our arts centre every week. Before Village Hall Hub, managing it all was chaos. The grants finder helped us secure an Arts Council National Lottery Project Grant last year, and the booking calendar means we never double-book our gallery space any more.