Creative hub set to close

AN events and entertainment venue in Henley is shutting after two years due to rising costs.

The Green Room, in Market Place, which opened in May 2023, will close at the end of this month.

The venue was created by 8RAY Group, a live entertainment company to provide a creative space and a co-working café to support artists and businesses in the area.

The space, which was at the former Queen Victoria pub behind the town hall, used to house the Watercolour Arts & Play Café, which closed in September 2022 after less than two years in operation.

Staff said that due to a rise in costs brought on by government cuts, it was “no longer sustainable” for them to keep the Green Room open in its current form.

The 8Ray headquarters will be moving to the Doghouse Studio in Shiplake, a recording studio, where it will “continue to mentor the next generation of talent”.

Jason Jaurigue, the owner of music label 8Ray, said: “The Green Room has been a key part of our mission, being a creative hub, where we have supported the community within business and young talent but with all of the rising costs, the next step is what’s needed for our core business.”