Creative Ways Outdoors, a professional Arts and Outdoor Celebrations company based on the Isle of Wight, will be presenting to the public a special event on Sunday 18th May called Heritage Coast to Coast.
The event will be the culmination of three months community-led activity in the great outdoors, focusing on the Island’s two Heritage Coasts – the Hamstead Heritage Coast and the Tennyson Heritage Coast. These unique stretches of coastline, known for their unspoilt natural beauty and rich biodiversity, form two of only 43 recognised Heritage Coasts across all of England and Wales.
Creative Ways Outdoors
Creative Ways Outdoors, led by husband and wife team Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink, have brought together partners from Isle of Wight National Landscape (main sponsor), IW National Trust, Yes! Creative Beats with Viva Carnival Club, Equals IW, IW Walking Festival, nature educators and local artists to showcase these rich and varied coastal environments to visitors through cultural dance, rhythm, flag making and walks.
The aim of the programme has been to build meaningful and sustainable relationships between people and nature, promoting a sense of connectedness and responsibility.
Hamstead and Tennyson sites
At the Hamstead site by Newtown Old Town Hall, Yes! Creative Beats with Viva will be sharing some of their imaginative responses to the local environment between 11am and 1pm. All welcome, and activities are free.
At the Tennyson site by Compton Bay NT car park, Equals IW will present their activities between 3pm and 5pm. Also free.
At both locations, car sharing, cycling and use of public transport is encouraged, as parking at both sites is very limited.
Heritage Coast to Coast walks programme
Visitors are also encouraged to take part in the Heritage Coast to Coast walks programme that day, marking the final day of the 2025 Walking Festival.
There will be a short (one mile) discovery trail, led by the host group volunteers, one at each site, plus a new eight-mile hiking route devised by Creative Ways Outdoors director Frankie Goldspink, which connects both Heritage Coast sites.
These will start at 10.30am, 2.30pm and 12 noon respectively and are bookable through the IW Walking Festival website.
Goldspink: It’s all about ‘connectedness
Frankie Goldspink said,
“Heritage Coast to Coast has been a wonderfully enriching experience for all involved. It has proffered an opportunity for people to discover and learn about a section of our coastline that they may not have visited before, often because of access or cultural barriers.
“Then, to individually and collaboratively, express responses to that environment in creative ways they may not have tried before.
“The event on Sunday 18th May is their opportunity to show and share this with others, and you are all invited. It’s all about ‘connectedness’, and we are so grateful to IW National Landscape for connecting us all to this amazing project opportunity.”
The ‘Heritage Coast to Coast’ project also forms part of the National Beach of Dreams programme, led by London-based Kinetika throughout May. Beach of Dreams engages participants across the UK in creative programmes fostering connection with communities, coastline, and the planet, offering hope for the future.
News shared by Chris on behalf of Creative Ways Outdoors. Ed
