About Quay Arts

Quay Arts Today

The Quay Arts Centre is the Isle of Wight’s leading art gallery and venue for live arts events. It is situated in a converted 19th Century brewery warehouse complex located at the head of the River Medina in the centre of Newport.

The complex was refurbished in 1997 by award winning architect Tony Fretton and is supported by The Arts Council of England and the Isle of Wight Council.

Facilities at the complex include 3 galleries, a 134 capacity theatre, a Crafts Council-listed shop and a popular café/bar with a reputation for serving some of the best home-cooked food on the Island. First class conferencing facilities are also available.

The Centre’s three gallery spaces and café walls are home to an acclaimed regularly changing programme of Visual Arts. The extremely high quality work on show is sourced not only from the Island but also from mainland and international artists.

Quay Arts’ theatre is named after Anthony Minghella, the Island-born Oscar-winning director and is one of the best venues on the Island to see live performances. The programme offers theatre, comedy, music, dance, kids and literature with a cinema that shows the best in world and classic film.

The Quay also operates an artist workshop complex, Jubilee Stores, which is home to the Classes & Workshops programme. Included in this facility are two large workspaces, a print studio and seven artist studios that are home to some of the most talented artists in the region.

Quay Arts Trustees

Quay Arts is governed by a Board of Trustees who act as Directors of both the charity, Steve Ross Foundation for the Arts (SRFA), and the trading arm, Quay Arts Trading Company (QATC).

Trustee Biographies

Morris BARTON (SRFA & QATC)   
Morris Barton OBE was trained at the Isle of Wight County Press and served for 40 years as newsroom foreman and head reader, retiring in 1994.  He had a long political career of 33 years, 15 as leader of the County Council and the Unitary Authority, 10 years as a UK delegate to European Regional Government and a Trades Union officer.  He was decorated for his public service to the Island in 1997.  He has run his political consultancy since 2001 when he came off the Council and now serves on a number of Trusts, a school governing body and Town Council.  He was one of the founding members of Quay Arts.

Mike FISHER (SRFA & QATC)
Having qualified as a Solicitor, Mike worked in Bolton and Leeds before coming to the Isle of Wight in 1984 to work for the old County Council and then, from 1995, the newly established Isle of Wight Council.  In 2002, he became its Chief Executive and remained in that role until his retirement in 2006.  Since 2007, he has been the Chair of the Hampshire Probation Trust as well as being a director of the Probation Association.  Mike undertakes consultancy work with local authorities alongside his probation work and joined the trustees of the SRFA in March 2011.  He is married with three grown up children and, in his semi retirement, is a keen golfer, being a member of the Shanklin and Sandown Golf Club.

Glen HEPBURN (SRFA)
Glen is a Chartered Town & Country Planner running a consultancy on the Island since 2004.  He graduated from Dundee University in 1986 and since then has worked in the development process in both rural and inner London authorities and the private sector.  He is involved in several trusts and is on a Lottery panel.  He also enjoys coaching an U14 rugby team, cycling and being in the thick of family life!

Andy HOLLEBON (SRFA)
Andy worked in the Government’s social security and health departments for the first 17 years of his career culminating in spells in the Department of Health’s Press Office and as a Principal Private Secretary for a Junior Health Minister.   More recently he has worked in NHS authorities and hospitals in the areas of corporate affairs, communications and engagement.   Andy and his partner Debbie moved to the Island in 2008 when he was appointed Head of Communications and Engagement for the Island’s health services.   Andy has had a lifelong involvement in Scouting; he enjoys theatre, music and art and is trying to learn to play a musical instrument, again!

Mary SPRADBERY (SRFA & QATC)

Mary Spradbery started her finance career in retail banking, firstly in her home county of Herefordshire before moving to London and then Yorkshire. 12 years of banking and two children later, she decided to become an accountant, and qualified as a Chartered Certified Accountant whilst working for a leading life assurance plc. Mary moved to the island in 2004 and joined SP Systems (now Gurit UK) firstly as a financial accountant, and then as head of finance. In 2011 she was appointed finance director of a corporate finance firm in Cowes. Mary enjoys family activities, socialising and making the most of what the island has to offer.

Nathan THOMAS (SRFA)

Nathan Thomas is the Head Teacher at Medina College in Newport. Nathan has worked in education since leaving the Central School of Speech and Drama in 1997, where he completed his PGCE.  Nathan is a performing arts teacher and active performer and musician.  He is a member of a ‘Dads’ band, the ‘MPE’ and an active theatre goer.

Linda TILLSON (SRFA)
Linda is been a HR professional for the last 18 years and has a post graduate degree in Personnel and Development.  Two years ago Linda set up her own HR Consultancy business with the aim of helping small and medium sized businesses on the Isle of Wight.  As well as being a Trustee, Linda is also a non-executive director for Island Support Services and a volunteer membership assessor for the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

David WHITE (SRFA)
David is an established professional photographer living and working on the Island. During his busy and extensive imaging career he has worked on assignments for all of the top UK newspapers and glossy magazines, as well as many leading worldwide publications. During his many years as a professional he has diversified in the imaging profession to include in his activities photographic seminars presentations both in the UK and worldwide. Over the years he has devoted some of his spare time to promoting and helping the arts.  Travel photography has also featured within his career having visited many exotic and remote regions especially within South America.  He trained in photography in London both in a civil service photographic dept and Later with a picture Agency. David has in the past taught photography at the IW College and as well as his photography qualifications also has professional teaching qualifications.