Johnathan Messum is the founder behind Messums Wiltshire who set out in 2015 to explore how venues and creativity could come together and offer a more layered access for those looking to engage with art.  This led to projects in collaboration with leading artists in the fields of painting, sculpture, ceramic, dance and architecture, In 2016 he launched Messums Wiltshire, a repurposed use for the largest thatched building in the country just west of Salisbury. The programming opened with installations by Judy Pfaff and performance by Russell Maliphant both responding to the building and followed by presentations across genres since that time.

In 2020 the Messums 4 x 20 emerging choreography platform launched supporting the creation and presentation of new work by contemporary choreographers as part of a Dance Festival at Messums West (formerly Messums Wiltshire). In 2022 the platform toured to venues within the UK.