Written by Amy Hall
Sandown is in the running to become the UK’s Town of Culture 2028. That’s not to say if they win, it will become a Town of Culture, because it already is one. With rich history, passionate communities and unique habitats. We hear the echoes across the Island, ‘Sandown could be great if only…’ The potential in Sandown has quietly been bubbling beneath the surface for years, Town of Culture will open it up and the town will explode with opportunity, thanks to a potential injection of £3 million. The wave of change will be felt all across the Island.
The aptly named Tide Turners, are leading the bid for Sandown Town of Culture 2028. Now is your chance to have your say in what you want to see happen for Sandown, as they invite you to a community day on Wednesday the 21st October as part of our CAN YOU HEAR US? celebrations.
Due to unfortunate circumstances making it impossible for the big top from Ventnor Exchange to set up in Sandown – the originally planned venue for the event, it will now take place at the Trouville Hotel on Sandown Esplanade from 10am to 3pm. The Tide Turners team wasted no time in finding a replacement venue and we’re grateful to the Trouville Hotel for making it possible.
Tracy Mikich of the Sandown Tide Turners bid team says,
“This free event is your opportunity to tell us what you want to see, hear and experience across Sandown if our bid to be UK Town of Culture is successful.
“We’re really grateful to the Trouville for opening up their ground floor ballroom to the community.
“With the wonderful Shademakers UK, The Common Space and Graft Studios, we’ll be bringing together some of the Island’s most inspiring artists and performers to offer entertainment and hands-on activities for the whole family. And we want to know what you think about the ideas we have for 2028.
“Drop in, get inspired and help build our bid.”
Here are some of the incredible things you can expect from the day.
The 2028 Tide Turner Festival
One idea currently circulating for the bid, is the potential for a 2028 Tide Turner Festival. Focussing on art and science, exploring the story of Sandown. The festival will see Sandown split into 4 key areas; curiosity, adaptation, origin, and wonder. Each theme being represented by a physical area of the town.
The festival and themes are inspired by everything from dinosaur footprints to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution beginning on the Isle of Wight. Then there’s the writings of Lewis Carroll and the town’s long carnival and regatta history. History is still being made in the modern day, with pioneering eco-business Artecology creating Vertipools, an artificial marine habitat which can be seen at Sandown’s very own science beach.
Family Entertainment
A jam packed programme has been put together by the well known Shademakers UK, you may recognise their impressive carnival costumes and kinetic figures which are known internationally. Shademakers are one of the bid partners, here’s what their own Joe Plumb has to say about the programme planned for Wednesday.
“From tiger stories to drumming workshops, dance performances to film screenings, this programme is a fantastic celebration of the incredible wealth of creativity in Sandown. It’s a brilliant chance to meet some of the artists and creatives involved in Sandown’s Town of Culture bid, discover their work and have your say about the town’s cultural future.
“Following the cancellation of The Arena big top, the Sandown community has rallied together, as it always does, to make sure the show goes on. The result is a wonderfully diverse and exciting programme at the Trouville Hotel that really showcases the creativity, passion and community spirit that makes Sandown so special.”
Hands-on science at Discovery Bay
Sandown’s very own pop up science museum. With incredible natural history artefacts spanning 100 million years, pick them up or ogle through a microscope. Ian Boyd of the Common Space shared,
“Discovery Bay, Sandown’s very own pop-up natural history museum, will offer up an extraordinary array of fossils, bones, skulls, pickled specimens and curious creatures from 100 million years of amazing wildlife.
“Because the museum is all hands-on, you can pick up anything you want and take a closer look. But for that extra-super-close experience, why not try out the museums fabulous microscopes, including the giant micro-eye, and meet our mini-beasts face to face?”
And Lots More
Creative activities from artists Laura Hathaway and Sue Paraskeva, creatives from Sandown-based Graft Studios, and the Somewhen Survival Society‘s performance about foraging for wild food.
Not only will this be a wonderful day of celebration of the Sandown community, but it will give you a chance to have your say on the Town of Culture bid that will be submitted by the 30th November 2026.
