Volunteers at a music and performing arts venue in Reading have had to apply to renew their licence for food and alcohol sales following the death of their landlord.
The Rising Sun Arts Centre in Silver Street is a Reading institution venue hosting live music and drama performances.
The centre also hosts the annual ‘Here Comes the Sun Festival’ and participates in ‘Are You Listening?’, a multi-venue event in Reading held in May.
The venue has a colourful history, as a group of artists squatted in the building in its early days, and was once at risk of redevelopment.
Volunteers have recently applied for a new licence to operate, following the death of Felix Brunner, the landlord and licence holder, on Tuesday, December 10, 2024.
A post by Damien Passmore from The Rising Sun Arts Centre blog states: “It is with deep sadness that we write to inform everyone that our colleague Felix Brunner has passed away.
“Felix was our landlord here at the Rising Sun, but was much more than that.
“Felix was involved with the centre from its earliest days when the building was squatted by a group of artists with a vision to create something unique in Reading.
“Felix became our Landlord when he bought the building in order to save it from developers and ensure it remained a cultural centre serving the people of Reading. We have had a home at 30 Silver Street ever since.
“Felix was a core volunteer at the centre for many years and had huge input into its direction and growth.
“He was also the go-to person whenever there was a practical problem which needed solving. To many of us, he was a colleague and a collaborator, a source of inspiration and a good friend who will be sorely missed.
“Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this time, and especially with his two children Joe and Lucy.”
The volunteers have therefore applied for a new premises licence from Reading Borough Council.
Mr Passmore explained: “The licence application is simply due to our previous licensee (and owner of the building) passing away, and thus we needed to apply for a new one to continue doing everything we’ve been doing before.
“We’ve been working with the council under their recommendations of temporary licensing while this was being ironed out.”
The volunteers have applied to sell alcohol on and off the premises and sell food indoors from 10am until 11pm each day.
A statutory consultation into the application is currently live.
You can respond by emailing licensing@reading.gov.uk. The deadline for representations is Monday, July 14.
The arts centre in Silver Street is not to be confused with The Rising Sun pub in Forbury Road, which has been closed for a decade, and The Rising Sun in Castle Street, which opened in June last year.
