Why we created OSA
Other Space Arts began with a simple belief: Windsor needed more space for independent artists, original music and community-led ideas.
Too many brilliant performers, artists and organisers struggle to find welcoming, affordable places where they can try something new, reach an audience and build a community around their work.
In 2025, we opened the doors to a converted warehouse on the Vansittart Estate and began turning it into something different: part grassroots venue, part gallery, part plant-based café and bar, and part community meeting place.
OSA was founded by Eleanor Chownsmith and Matt Fleming, with the support of a small team of staff, volunteers, artists, promoters and community partners. The space continues to grow through the people who use it and the ideas they bring through the door.
Art needs space
We believe artists need more than somewhere to perform. They need places that are willing to take a chance on original work, help new ideas develop and make it easier for audiences to discover something unfamiliar.
Where possible, we support grassroots artists through free or subsidised venue hire, technical help, design and promotion, and ticket arrangements that allow artists to retain more of what they earn.
Not every event works in exactly the same way, but the principle behind our decisions remains the same: we want OSA to be a place where independent creativity can grow.
A different kind of cultural space
OSA is first and foremost a grassroots arts and cultural venue, but we have designed it to be adaptable.
Our purpose is to give artists, musicians, performers, curators and community organisers space to create, share work and connect with audiences. The building can change throughout the day, moving between exhibitions, workshops, rehearsals, open mics, community-led activities and live performances.
That flexibility helps us welcome different art forms, audiences and ways of taking part. It also helps make grassroots art more sustainable by allowing the space to remain active and useful beyond individual performances.
Our café and bar support that cultural purpose, helping us welcome audiences and generate income that can be reinvested into the venue, its facilities and its artistic programme.
OSA may take different forms at different times, but the arts remain at the heart of everything we do.
Room for different voices
We want OSA to be a place where people feel safe to arrive as themselves.
We welcome people of different ages, identities, backgrounds and experiences, and we champion artists and voices that have not always been given enough room elsewhere.
For us, inclusion is not a box to tick. It is found in the people we book, the events we support, the way we treat one another and our willingness to listen when something could be better.
We ask everyone who uses OSA to help us create that atmosphere through kindness, respect and looking out for the people around them. There is room here to be different, to be curious and to express yourself without making somebody else feel less welcome.
How OSA works
Our café and bar help make the creative programme possible.
Income from coffee, food, drinks, tickets and venue activity contributes towards the cost of running the building, improving its facilities and supporting grassroots arts and community events.
This means that visiting OSA makes a difference even when you are not attending a performance. Ordering lunch, meeting someone for coffee or spending an evening at the bar all help us continue providing opportunities for artists and local groups.
Our kitchen is entirely plant-based. This is one of the practical choices we have made to reduce our impact while creating food that can be enjoyed by all.
We also try to buy locally, support independent producers, reduce waste and consider packaging and transport when choosing our suppliers.
We have not solved everything, but we are committed to making thoughtful choices and improving as we grow.
Our community purpose
Other Space Arts is a Community Interest Company, commonly known as a CIC.
That means OSA has been created for community benefit. A legal asset lock protects what the organisation owns, and private financial gain is restricted. Money generated by OSA is used to sustain and improve the space, support our programme and further our community purpose.
We want to be open about how the model works. OSA cannot exist without people buying food and drink, attending events, donating, volunteering and sharing what we do. Every part of that support helps keep independent arts and culture alive in Windsor.
Still becoming
OSA is not a finished project.
We are continuing to improve the building, learn from the people who use it and develop a programme that reflects the creativity already present in Windsor and the surrounding area.
We will not always get everything right. We welcome ideas, conversations and constructive challenge from our community.
OSA has been built by people choosing to take part. Artists who bring us their work. Promoters who take risks. Volunteers who give their time. Audiences willing to discover someone new. Customers who understand that buying a coffee can help put an artist on a stage.
That is what makes Other Space Arts possible, and we would love you to help shape what it becomes next.