Downtown Pompey
A bold identity, flexible WordPress website and ongoing campaign support for a queer-led performance and community organisation in Portsmouth.
Giving important stories
a bigger stage
Downtown Pompey brings local communities together through queer art practices, theatre, heritage and creative projects—creating space for people to explore identity, share experiences and have their voices heard.
Buckley developed a bold, distinctive visual approach and a flexible WordPress website that gives the organisation one clear place to showcase projects, publish news, gather feedback and help people support its work.
The brief
Downtown Pompey is a community-led organisation supporting independent businesses, live performances and cultural events across Portsmouth.
As a growing organisation, they had no existing website. Events were promoted primarily through social media, which limited visibility and made it difficult to centralise information.
The primary objective was clear:
- Create a dedicated platform to list performances and local events
- Provide a reliable system for selling tickets
- Establish a professional online presence to support long-term growth
The challenge
Launching a first website presents a unique challenge – there is no structure to improve, only one to build from scratch.
Key considerations included:
- Creating a clear, easy-to-navigate events system
- Ensuring ticket purchasing was simple and secure
- Designing a layout that felt professional but community-focused
- Making event management straightforward for the internal team
The site needed to feel established from day one.
The Solution
Strategy
The website was structured around a clear user journey:
Discover Event → View Details → Purchase Ticket
Navigation was simplified to prioritise upcoming performances, while secondary pages supported community information and business listings.
The focus remained on conversion without compromising the cultural personality of the organisation.
Design
The visual approach balanced energy and professionalism.
- Bold headings to reflect the vibrancy of local arts
- Clear event cards with strong calls to action
- Mobile-first layouts to support on-the-go ticket purchases
- Accessible typography and colour contrast
The design supports both performance listings and long-term credibility.
Development
Built using WordPress for flexibility and scalability.
- Custom event listing structure
- Integrated ticket purchasing system
- Streamlined backend for easy event uploads
- SEO-ready page structure to support discoverability
The result is a system the team can confidently manage themselves.
The Result
Downtown Pompey now has a dedicated website bringing its performances, projects and community work together in one place.
Visitors can discover upcoming events and find ticket information, while the organisation has a platform for publishing news and promoting its work beyond social media.
“The new website has given us a central platform to showcase events and connect properly with our audience. It’s made promoting performances and selling tickets far more streamlined.”
The Fabulous Josh, CEO – Downtown Pompey
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