There’s still time to book your (free) seat for the Fringe Forum Cultural Conference, taking place in the lively Fringe Village situated at Ventnor Park, on Tuesday 25th July between 10am-3.30pm.
Serving as a mini-cultural conference, this event marks the mid-point of the Ventnor Fringe Festival, bringing together creative minds and culture enthusiasts.
The forum is geared towards those passionate about the role of culture in shaping our collective future.
Broad Audience Appeal
Open to performers across all disciplines as well as members of the public, the Fringe Forum offers an inclusive platform for engagement.
It seeks to inspire attendees, forge connections, and drive conversations about the future of the cultural sphere on the Isle of Wight.
The event is free to attend, but you need to book in advance to secure your seat.
Starting the day with inspiration
The day begins at 10am with a welcome speech from Jack Whitewood, Creative and Development Director of Ventnor Exchange and Ventnor Fringe.
The first panel discussion, ‘Developing Skills: How do we provide the training and development creatives need?’, kicks off at 10:15am.
Among the panelists are Georgia Newman from IW Creative Network, Gavin McWhirter of Digital Islands, and Megan Stisted, Creative Projects Manager at Ventnor Exchange. The conversation will centre around the pivotal role of nurturing creative skills for the development of the arts.
Fostering international collaboration
Following a short break, the focus shifts to international collaboration from 11:15am.
Nick Green, Senior Manager, Combined Arts and Individuals, Arts Council England and Rachel Clare, Artistic Director of Crying Out Loud, speak to the theme ‘Exploring New Collaborations: How do we reach out to the rest of the world?’
It aims to encourage attendees to ponder the implications and potential of global cultural exchanges.
Questioning the pace of change
As the day progresses, a third discussion titled ‘Building Momentum: Is anything really going to change?’ will bring further thought-provoking insights.
The session, featuring Gavin Stride, Executive Director of The Island Collection, Rajni Patel, Relationship Manager at Arts Council England, and Joe Plumb, Programming and Operations Manager at Department, examines the pace and direction of cultural change.
Networking and action plans
There’ll be a one-hour lunch and networking break, before the forum move towards tangible actions with the launch of the ‘Ventnor Exchange Delivery Plan’.
This session, scheduled from 2pm to 3pm, provides attendees with an overview of Ventnor Exchange’s new Delivery Plan and introduces them to the ‘Big Top Workshop’.
To reserve your seat, book via the Ventnor Exchange online Box Office.
Image: © Julian Winslow
