There’s an old story about the Isle of Wight. You probably know it.
Bucket and spade seaside holidays. An ageing population. Somewhere beautiful, slightly nostalgic and maybe a little disconnected from what’s happening elsewhere.
CAN YOU HEAR US? exists because that story is nowhere near big enough.
Across the Island there is a cultural and creative sector made up of around 200 mostly small, grassroots organisations, supporting around 2,500 jobs. There are artists, performers, makers, musicians, writers and producers doing extraordinary things but CAN YOU HEAR US? is also about the place that shapes that work: our landscapes, natural environment, heritage and distinct communities. This is an Island where culture and nature are deeply intertwined.
And it’s also a place facing serious challenges: low wages, seasonal and precarious employment, high housing costs, inequality and young people leaving. And while culture, creativity and extraordinary nature are all around us, the opportunity to experience, participate in and feel part of them isn’t equally shared.
We are creating opportunities for people to encounter something new, taking activity into different communities and removing financial barriers. We are giving people opportunities to be part of creating things, not just watch them and crucially, we want these experiences to be good enough that people want to come back.
Because the six weeks of CAN YOU HEAR US? is also about the change that comes afterwards..
It’s the young person who begins to believe they could build a creative life on the Island. The organisation that finds a new collaborator. The person who never thought the arts or culture were “for them” who suddenly turns up again. It’s a creative and cultural sector that becomes better connected, more confident and more resilient.
And eventually, we want something bigger to happens through all the work thats happening at Creative Island.
The story the Island tells about itself begins to shift.
More people, from more backgrounds participate in cultural activity and creativity. People feel more connected to their communities and enjoy living here more, talent stays and flourishes and the Isle of Wight becomes known as the contemporary, progressive and ambitious place we know it to be.
That’s why we’re doing this. Not to bring creativity to the Isle of Wight. It was here all along.
We’re connecting it, opening it up, turning up the volume and seeing what happens when an Island starts believing in its own creative power.
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Image Credits:
- Silent Disco at Freshwater Bay by Harry Bradley
- Shouting at the Pepper Pot by Trudie Wilson
- Shademakers Parade down Union Street by Julian Winslow
