Written by Amy Hall.
If you live on the Isle of Wight, by now you may have come across or even befriended members of the Creative Island team. If you’ve not had to chance to meet the wonderful little team of passionate people that bring Creative Island to life, then get to know them in this new meet the team series.
Get to know the people behind the projects. Here’s Georgia Newman.
Who are you and what do you do at Creative Island?
I’m Georgia Newman, Deputy Director at Creative Island, and I lead on our talent development work through the Creative Island Network (aka the IW Creative Network) which supports a community of over 250 creative businesses. A huge part of my role is about connecting people – whether that’s helping Island creatives find opportunities, funding, advice and professional development, or simply bringing people together who might be able to help, support or inspire one another. I’m a big believer that talent is everywhere on the Island, but opportunity isn’t always as easy to come by. A lot of what I do is about trying to bridge that gap – helping creatives build confidence, make connections and find ways to develop their practice in a sustainable way.
Where’s your favourite spot on the Isle of Wight and why?
I’m going to cheat and pick two: Compton Bay and Gurnard Bay.
I love the quiet, unspoilt wildness of Compton, but Gurnard is probably the place we find ourselves most often in the summer and autumn period. There’s something I love about that rugged coastline in Gurnard meeting the almost industrial view across the Solent – the ships, the power station, the sea, the weather rolling in and, of course, those sunsets.
Having a connection with nature is deeply important to me and our family, but in the simplest possible way. We have three young boys growing up in a world full of screens and distractions, and getting down to the beach is our chance to kick back, get in the sea, mess around in the waves and sand, watch the sunset and just spend time together.
What makes the Island so great for you?
It’s that closeness to nature, definitely. We’re incredibly lucky that you can finish work or school and within minutes be on a beach, in the woods or somewhere that feels completely removed from everything.
But I also love the community here. The Island is small enough that connections happen in unexpected ways. That can be especially powerful creatively – people know each other, champion each other, collaborate and make things happen in village halls, park spaces, libraries, pubs, and other unusual spaces. There’s a real resourcefulness here too. Being an Island inevitably brings its own set of challenges, but I think it also creates a certain determination to just get on and make things happen. I’ve always believed that if something doesn’t exist – you can make it yourself.
If you could change one thing about the Island, what would it be?
Better access to healthcare services for everyone.
As a child, I spent a lot of time in Southampton hospital, so I know first-hand what it means for an Island family when the specialist care you need simply isn’t available here.
Having to travel across the Solent for treatment adds another layer of stress, cost and disruption at what can already be an incredibly difficult time. It can separate families and take people away from their support networks. I’d love to see Island residents able to access the same quality and breadth of healthcare services as people living on the mainland, without that stretch of water becoming another barrier.
When you’re not at your day job, what can we find you doing?
Probably on a beach somewhere with my family, supporting one of my sons at a football match, taking a morning run along Cowes seafront, or cooking up a storm in the kitchen! As a mum of three young boys, life outside work is generally pretty full-on.
We spend as much time outside as we can, and I absolutely love cooking – especially when there’s a football tournament on. I have a bit of a tradition called ‘Cook the Opposition’, where I make a dish from whichever country England are playing that day. It’s become one of my favourite excuses to get friends and family together – good food, friends and family is pretty much my happy place.
What does Creative Island mean to you?
Creative Island, to me, is about possibility.
We have an extraordinary amount of creative talent on this Island, but living and working here can come with very real barriers – geography, transport, access to opportunities, funding, networks and sometimes simply knowing where to turn next.
I believe our role is to help remove some of those barriers and make sure that creativity is recognised as something genuinely important to the Island – culturally, socially and economically.
The bit I love most is seeing what can happen when you connect the right people or give someone a bit of support at the right moment. Sometimes it’s a funding opportunity or professional advice, but sometimes it’s simply an introduction, a conversation or someone saying, “Have you thought about this?”
If Creative Island can help more people feel that they can build a creative life and career here – then that means a huge amount to me.
Check out ‘news’ to hear from the rest of the team.
