Ryde Arts, which has for many years run as a community group of dedicated volunteers, is now a Community Interest Company (CIC) giving the organisation a new and more professional setting, but with the same aims of celebrating the talent of the town and wider Island in all art forms.
Bringing together young and older
Retiring Chair, Carol Jaye, who has spearheaded Ryde Arts for very many year, told OnTheWight,
“We are very pleased to be able to announce that this year Arts Council England have offered us a £15,000 award for our 2020 project SPIRIT OF PLACE.
“The grant offers the town an opportunity to work with the young people from Network Ryde, the dedicated youth café in Ryde High Street, helping them to acquire skills in researching and recording some of the memories of Ryde’s older citizens.
“This archive will be used to create pop-up theatre with Horsebox Theatre in and around the town during the Summer Festival season next year.”
Collaborating with the community
Carol went on to,
“We are happy to keep up our tradition of involving many members of our community as while working on the commemoration of the start of WWI, GROW based on local allotments, the MENNYMS family and last year’s THREADS where every inhabitant of the town is recorded as a stitch in the textile installation in Ryde Library.”
Grateful for support
Carol finished by saying,
“We are grateful to Ryde Town Council for helping us achieve this funding which brings more creative activity into the town adding to Ryde’s rich and diverse cultural heritage which has already been acknowledged by Historic England in their High Streets Heritage Action Zone grant.”
Get involved
Ryde Arts will be seeking volunteers for this project, so if you have an entertaining memory of you or your family in Ryde please contact get in touch by visiting the Ryde Arts Website.
Alternatively you can call in to Ryde Library and leave your name and contact details to join in the new venture.
Image: © Julian Winslow
