The Creative Biosphere project was initiated by the IW Cultural Education Partnership with the Island’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty team.
Five inspirational local artists worked with young people from five Island schools and five cultural organisations on creative projects, developing skills and raising awareness of the Isle of Wight as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
The selected partners, young people, artists and their artworks consisted of:
- Island artist, Teresa Grimaldi, worked as artist-in-residence at the Island Free School in partnership with Ventnor Exchange. With her support, students formed ideas of mythical local beasts and created drawings and puppetry that went on display to thousands of people at the Ventnor Fringe Festival 2022.
- Independent Arts worked with young talent at the Isle of Wight Education Federation and artist Trudie Wilson to create a carving of a large block of local limestone as a legacy piece. An exhibition of their work went on display at Independent Arts creative hub venue in Newport during August 2022.
- A group of young people from Cowes Enterprise College designed and sowed their way through metres of cotton and fabric, inspired by artist Liz Cooke as they created 10 large format flags for exhibition at Quay Arts in December 2022.
- Banners were also a theme of the New Carnival Company’s project, working with students at Ryde Academy with artist Jenna Sabine, and performed their work as part of the Mardi Gras Festival in Ryde 2022.
- Brading Roman Villa also participated in this exciting project which culminated in a massive young people ‘takeover’ day in November 2022 across all participating organisations with students from The Bay CE School.
Supported by Arts Council England and IW Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
