Creative Island, the Isle of Wight’s Cultural Development Agency, has announced the full programme for Can You Hear Us? – a six-week celebration of creativity and culture taking place across the Island between 11th September and 24th October 2026.
Arts Council England‘s Place Partnership Fund supports the festival, which spans film, craft, public art, music, theatre, nature connection, shared meals and carnival.
A programme spanning the whole Island
The programme brings together 17 partner organisations alongside artists, makers, creative practitioners and community participants from across the Island.
Among the highlights, Shademakers will present their Ship of Hope promenade carnival in Ryde, while the travelling Ventnor Exchange Arena will bring circus, theatre and youth-led festivals to Sandown and Newport.
Somewhen Survival Society, a touring village-hall event combining performance, storytelling and a communal feast, also features in the programme.
Celebrating Island culture
Gavin Stride, Director of Creative Island, said,
“This is an opportunity to celebrate all that the Island is.
“To delight in all the ways that the people of the Island express who they are and to recognise the talent and energy of people in every part of our communities.”
Investing in the next generation
A central ambition of Can You Hear Us? is developing the Island’s next generation of cultural leaders.
Creative Island has awarded 12 participants places on a Cultural Leadership Programme, giving them dedicated support to shape a more confident, resourceful and relevant future for the Island’s cultural scene.
Through a partnership with Creative Lives, a Micro-grants Programme (see below) is funding 26 activities across a variety of art forms both during and in the lead-up to the autumn celebration.
Young people sit at the heart of the programme, with multiple opportunities to participate and develop skills, including an Island-wide schools programme delivered in partnership with the Isle of Wight Cultural Education Partnership and Artswork’s Listen Up initiative. Further details will follow.
Music at the heart of communities
Nia Collins, Strategic Planning and Programme Manager of Southampton and IW Music Hub, said,
“Music has a unique way of capturing the spirit of a place and the stories of the people who live there.
“Through Songs of Place, young people and communities will turn their experiences of Island life into new music and soundscapes, creating something that celebrates where they are from and ensures their voices are heard far beyond the shoreline.”
£402,000 from Arts Council England
Phil Gibby, Area Director for Arts Council England South West, confirmed that the programme receives £402,000 from the Place Partnership Fund.
He said,
“The momentum behind culture on the Isle of Wight has never been stronger. From Shademakers’ carnival leadership to the regenerated Department building in Ryde, and the touring big-top Ventnor Exchange Arena, organisations across the Island are expanding access to creativity for all.”
Phil added,
“It’s powerful to see artists, schools and communities come together around a shared love of their home.
“By focusing on children and young people, developing new cultural leaders, and supporting grassroots projects, the cultural sector is shaping a collaborative vision that feels distinctly its own.”
Microgrants from Creative Lives
Delivered in partnership with Creative Lives, this programme provides grants of £500–£1,000 to Island-based community groups for creative projects between March and October 2026.
Supporting participation, collaboration, and inclusion, grants fund materials, space, or events, encouraging engagement, addressing loneliness, and helping groups explore new creative ambitions. Grants have been awarded to:
Appleblossoms: A monthly creative session for women affected by breast cancer, offering activities such as card-making, needle felting, embroidery and miniature crafts. The workshops will provide a welcoming space for creativity, connection and peer support.
Applegate Breast Cancer Support Group: Working with a local ceramic artist, the group will create a collaborative artwork representing their shared experiences. The finished piece will be gifted to the new Isle of Wight Breast Unit opening in 2026.
Appley Day Clay Collaboration: Two participatory clay workshops at Appley Day, inviting the public to create temporary land art using recycled porcelain and clay flowers. Participants will collectively transform the park landscape through accessible and playful sculptural making.
Brading Community Partnership: Young people from Brading will design costumes and flags, and create choreography to take part in the Ryde Mardi Gras parade, gaining creative skills and confidence while experiencing a vibrant community celebration many would not otherwise access.
Brading Roman Villa: Three artist-led workshops exploring memory, identity and legacy through creative practices such as journaling, collage and clay. Participants will respond to Roman artefacts from the museum collection, culminating in a public exhibition and short film.
Classic Boat Museum, Boatyard Tapestry: Community members will collaboratively create a large tapestry using sailcloth to tell the story of Cowes’ boatbuilding heritage. Workshops with volunteers, schools and local groups will combine textile-making with local history.
Creative Arts Group, HMP Isle of Wight: A weekly creative arts group for prisoners developing confidence, communication and teamwork through performance. Participants will work towards public-facing productions, including festivals and a Christmas show within the prison community.
Electronic Music Open Mic IoW: Free open-mic nights for electronic musicians, DJs and producers to share work, collaborate and receive feedback. The events will build a supportive local network and encourage creative experimentation within the Isle of Wight electronic music scene.
Friends of Monkton Arts, Ryde Gypsy Jazz Festival: Free street performances and a public workshop introducing the techniques of Gypsy jazz during Ryde’s festival. The project aims to widen access to this underrepresented genre and strengthen the Island’s growing jazz community.
Grow Gurnard CIC: A series of practical workshops exploring traditional willow crafts, including planting, hurdle-making, and weaving a living willow structure. Participants will help create functional features and gathering spaces within the community growing site.
Gurnard Community Calendar Group: Reviving Gurnard’s May Day celebrations with a craft fair, demonstrations, and hands-on sessions showcasing traditional skills and sustainable agriculture. The event will bring families together and highlight training pathways for young people.
Havenstreet Community Association, Tree of Life Project: Free workshops where residents create decorative glass and pottery pieces for a collaborative ‘Tree of Life’ artwork in the community garden, strengthening local pride while enhancing a shared outdoor space.
In Focus Education and Development: Four photography workshops for young people across the Isle of Wight, exploring personal stories through the Photovoice approach. Participants will learn photography skills and co-curate exhibition prints showcasing their perspectives.
Island CraftWorks, Ryde Flower Trail: Inclusive craft workshops creating sustainable paper flowers for a public trail displayed in shops and community spaces across Ryde. The project encourages creativity, collaboration and increased footfall for local businesses.
Isle of Wight Indonesian Community: Community dance and costume-making workshops celebrating Indonesian culture, while preparing participants to join the Isle of Wight Mardi Gras parade. The project promotes cultural exchange and community integration.
Isle of Wight Rare Breeds CIC: Hands-on felting workshops using fleece from the farm’s own sheep. Participants will learn to process, dye, and transform raw wool into creative objects while connecting with farming heritage.
Isle of Wight Young Farmers’ Club: Members will collaborate on designing and painting a mural celebrating the Island’s landscapes, agriculture and wildlife. Workshops will explore environmental themes while strengthening community identity.
John Cattle’s Skate Club CIC: Skaters across the Island will contribute footage to a collaborative short film documenting the local skateboarding scene. Workshops and meet-ups will support young people to develop mobile filming skills and share their stories.
Nature Therapy CIC, Artful Drumming Café: Silent disco equipment will enable inclusive movement, music and wellbeing sessions in community venues, care homes and outdoor spaces. Participants can control their own sound levels, supporting accessibility for people with sensory needs.
Sounds + Grounds Youthfest: A three-night youth music micro-festival in Cowes, offering young performers the chance to play short live sets. Free for audiences and participants, the event will support emerging musicians and energise the local music scene.
The Common Space CLG, Sandown Bay CoCreate Workshops: Creative workshops exploring coastal ecology and engineering through art-making. Participants’ work will be installed within local coastal defence structures, creating a public trail celebrating community creativity and environmental awareness.
The Port: Weekend creative sessions including DJ skills workshops, sewing and collaborative craft projects for young people. Participants will create banners and artworks promoting the CAN YOU HEAR US? programme.
The Ryde Art Collective: A digital arts workshop where young people experiment with film, sound and live projection using professional software. The project culminates in a collaborative projection showcase celebrating participants’ creative ideas.
VEX, Ventnor Exchange Spoken Word Collective: Community writing workshops inviting participants to create poems for a ‘Poetry Pharmacy’ and festival exhibition during Ventnor Fringe. Work will be shared through posters, recordings and interactive installations.
VIVA Carnival Club: Learning-disabled volunteers will take part in training sessions to help lead participatory drumming workshops for the wider community. The project will highlight participants’ skills while building confidence and leadership experience.
Wayfinders Education: Intergenerational outdoor creative days where families explore crafts such as whittling, nature art, and den building. Participants will share a campfire meal while learning practical skills connected to nature and local heritage.
