Arts Council England’s Chief Executive Officer Darren Henley (pictured), has chosen News OnTheWight, as one of the leading supporters of The Arts on the Isle of Wight, to share this exclusive Opinion Editorial with Islanders. Ed
The Isle of Wight’s focus on arts and culture as a major driver for regeneration is reflected in the bold and exciting ambitions here, that I saw first-hand when I visited just before the pandemic started. Today we are thrilled to back those aspirations with a £2.25 million funding boost for the Island.
We are all creative
We are all creative: we all deserve the best and most ambitious art and culture, wherever we live, whatever our background, whatever our passion. And that is what our new investment in the Isle of Wight will support.
As well as increasing our backing for some of the organisations we have invested in regularly for the past four years, we will also welcome three new organisations spreading our funding across the Island’s communities.
Ventnor Exchange
Ventnor Exchange first breathed life back into the town’s old post office in 2014 when they opened the space as a box office for their known and loved annual Fringe Festival.
Since then, it has become a popular and innovative cultural hub providing a year-round programme of often unconventional creative experiences in the heart of Ventnor as well as across the Island in interesting and unusual spaces.
We are proud to be investing in the talent and entrepreneurship of Ventnor Exchange’s young founders and team whose inventive approach to cultural activity is seeing huge success, Island-wide and beyond.
Quay Arts
Many of the readers of News OnTheWight will have enjoyed a music gig, been to a theatre show, browsed the crafts in the gift shop, or taken a creative class at the Quay Arts Centre in Newport. A cultural and social centre with gallery spaces, a theatre, workshops, and meeting areas. Quay Arts has been a constant on the Island’s cultural scene for many years now.
Through this investment Quay Arts will continue to provide creative and cultural opportunities for Island residents and offer career and talent development for people at all stages, while celebrating the Island’s life, culture, and heritage.
The Island Collection
The Island Collection is also set up to benefit from this boost. Its vision is to further establish the Isle of Wight as a flourishing cultural destination for residents and visitors alike, by nurturing and promoting the artistic offer on the Island.
A central strand of their work is connecting children and young people with opportunities – and now they will be able to develop this with even more youngsters.
Department
Our commitment to you also includes increased investment to Shademakers who will receive additional funds for Department, the flagship redevelopment project that is seeing the former Ryde department store transformed into a new creative space for Islanders.
The project is at the heart of Ryde’s regeneration and is an exciting example of the central role culture can play in the reimagining of the high street, which helps to boost economic growth and productivity.
New Carnival Company
The New Carnival Company, who many readers will recognise for their showcase Mardi Gras event, held in Ryde every Summer, will use their extra cash to build on their talent development programme for young creatives, opening up more pathways into the cultural sector – a real strength on the Island.
By further cementing our support for these organisations we continue to recognise and celebrate the local history of Carnival on the Island and help to raise civic pride.
Creativity and culture makes a huge difference to our everyday lives
The Isle of Wight is one of our priority places, and we are delighted that with this regular funding, these organisations will be able to realise their goal of putting the Island firmly on the cultural map and support our aims of levelling up through culture.
This feels like a real moment of celebration for your unique island. Investment in creativity and culture makes a huge difference to our everyday lives.
Let’s Create
We are delighted that the creative and cultural organisations who we are investing in across the Island over the next three years will be our partners in delivering the promise we made in our ten-year strategy Let’s Create – a promise to give everyone the chance to be inspired, to explore your creativity, to share in the joy that cultural experiences can bring, and to realise your aspirations in the place you call home.
