Creative Island is committed to convening a series of local conversations with the cultural community of each town on the Isle of Wight. The ambition is to speak about and listen to the particular challenges and opportunities that we all face, to explore collaborative opportunities, share information and network with others. An initial Creative West meeting was held on 15th April 2024 at West Wight Sports and Community Centre and garnered a very positive response.
On Monday 25th November 2024, we hosted the second session of Town Conversations for the West Wight, part of our ongoing series of five place-based gatherings across the Isle of Wight.
This session welcomed around 20 diverse creatives to the room, facilitated by Gavin, Director of Creative Island. Gavin shared updates on Creative Island’s recent work and invited an open discussion on the challenges and benefits of living and working on an island compared to the mainland. Encouragingly, the list of “better” attributes significantly outpaced the “harder” ones, though several themes were noted as fitting into both categories.
Local artist Nathan Holt shared his intriguing research on The Belinus Line, a conceptual network connecting the UK via 33 points, starting at Gatcombe Manor & stretching as far as Scotland. This captivated the group, adding a sense of charm and connectivity to the discussion.
Our most recent session, on Monday 9 June 2025, at Freshwater library, we welcomed around 30 creatives, organisers and community members. The session celebrated the diverse creative practices across the area – from ceramics and textiles to music, digital art and storytelling – and explored how to better connect and showcase this work.
Key themes included a shared desire for a dedicated creative hub, stronger youth engagement, intergenerational connection, and more visibility for local artists. Attendees discussed the importance of community spaces, digital inclusion, and protecting the natural environment through creative practice.
Momentum is building around continuing this dialogue, with interest in regular meetups, a WhatsApp group for ongoing connection, and support for the West Wight National Landscapes bid. The energy in the room reflected a strong sense of place, purpose, and potential. We look forward to what grows next!
Anyone who is curious about how the work they do contributes to the quality of West Wight is invited to get involved in future meetings.
Our next meeting will be:
📆 Monday November 17th 2025, 6pm-8pm
📍 Venue TBC – Please keep an eye on this page for updates.
Additionally, if you’d like to be a part of the WhatsApp group, please email Sam on sam@creativeisland.org.
