Creative Island secures £704,000 to boost cultural initiatives across the Isle of Wight

Creative Island is pleased to announce that they have secured £704,000, including £440,000 from Arts Council of England towards a year-long series of activities designed to celebrate the Isle of Wight as a forward looking and ambitious set of distinctive communities.

A place in which young people can flourish and which nurtures creativity by everyone across every part of the Island. A range of developments are planned over the next year culminating in a six-week celebration in Autumn 2026.

Gibby: Our investment will enable the Isle of Wight to go to the next level
Phil Gibby, Regional Director of Arts Council South West shared,

"The Isle of Wight’s cultural ambitions are clear to everyone right now. From the opening of Department in Ryde, and the achievements of Platform One, the transformation of Ventnor and the wonderful carnival culture that brings the Island together, this is a place where the arts are at the heart of every conversation.

"Our investment will enable the Isle of Wight to go to the next level with its ambition; we applaud the artists, cultural leaders, politicians, and stakeholders who have done so much to make this possible."

CAN YOU HEAR US? has grown out of the IW cultural strategy, All the Wonder, and aims to build a more confident, resourceful and relevant cultural sector in which creativity is recognised as a key characteristic of the Island and central to our future growth and prosperity.

Stride: The start of something bigger
Gavin Stride, director of Creative Island said

"This is such a positive signal for the Island, recognising as it does the remarkable creative community that exists here. It offers us an opportunity to demonstrate what we are capable of together.

"Our dearest hope is that this is the start of something bigger in which the wider world recognises the Isle of Wight as the special, ambitious and creative place that it is."

Creative Island is the Cultural Development Agency for the Isle of Wight, committed to ensuring that everyone on the Island has the greatest chance to participate in, enjoy and shape the place they live.

Jones-Evans: This award is just fabulous
Councillor Julie Jones-Evans, Portfolio Holder for Culture added,

"This award is just fabulous, enabling a year of cultural activities right across the Island reaching every community.

"This is only possible with the combined commitment of all the partners, such as the IW Council Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council and Ryde Town Council - and the belief in the Island from ACE.

"My thanks also to the dynamic leadership from Creative Island who had the vision to make this a reality."

Current confirmed partners include:

• Artswork;
• Brevity;
• Community Action;
• Creative Lives;
• Independent Arts;
• Island Food Producers;
• IW Music Hub;
• Medina Publishing;
• National Landscapes;
• New Carnival;
• Quay Arts;
• Shademakers UK;
• StoneCrabs Theatre;
• Vectis Radio and
• Ventnor Exchange.