Ryde Arts Festival

This year's Ryde Arts Festival burst into town in spectacular fashion on Saturday 7th July. The largest mixed arts event to take place on the Isle of Wight is now in its seventh year and this time around the week-long infusion of local artists, musicians and performers featured events staged at various locations throughout the town, both indoors and out.

Boasting a fun-filled program varied and plentiful enough to span a seven-day course, the Arts Festival eventually drew to a close on Friday July 13th. The festival was organised by Ryde ArtWorks, the body of enthusiasts who actively encourage groups of promoters, performers, poets, photographers, musicians, artists, schools, community groups and art experts to join together in producing an extraordinary blend of creative skills and knowledge.

A breathtaking burst of lively luminosity

The highly extravagant annual Arts Parade once again became the pivotal event responsible for coaxing the whole town out onto the streets and getting everyone into the festival spirit. Residents and visitors combined together with shop workers, pub landlords and local businesses to fill the pavements of Star Street, the lower High Street, Union Street and Ryde Esplanade. Also to the relief of everyone, the sun put on a brilliant display of its own - helping to bring a smile to most faces and swiftly melting memories of the rather damp and drizzly start to the summer the Island has experienced so far.

With almost every young person in Ryde having contributed in some way to the parade; over 2000 children and adults representing schools, community groups, family learning groups plus other participants took the Victorian town by storm as they unveiled the results of months of hard work and intense creativity based upon the chosen theme of "Great Artists and Masterpieces." Every year the IW Council, who are responsible for organising the parade, decide upon a theme that schools in particular are able to associate with the work they are already doing in the classroom. It is therefore hoped that the parade also boasts educational values as well as being an enjoyable event for the youngsters to take part in. From Picasso to Van Gogh, Jackson Pollock to Salvador Dali, Mondrian to Matisse, their costumes exemplified a living illustration of the History of Art in 3D technicolor set to a specially compiled compilation of uplifting melodies which set the tone for the day and got the crowds dancing.

A medley of merriment

To add to the impressive list festivities taking place, this year's Ryde Regatta was brought forward in the summer calendar so as to coincide with the Arts Festival. Needless to say, the 3-day Regatta, organised by the Ryde Regatta Committee, brought with it music a-plenty, beach soccer, market stalls, BBQ, beer tent and a superb firework display to name but a few of the range of activities on offer. For those who followed the Arts Parade down to the Esplanade live music and hip-hop demonstrations provided them with a warm greeting. This included a live guest appearance from SW STORM (top international soca artist) prior to the highly anticipated carnival parade prize giving. Please click here to view further details of this year's winners.

The weekend later stepped aside to allow the remainder of the week's events to get underway. The long list of participants included many superb examples of homegrown talent, along with community arts and internationally acclaimed artists. From musicals to exhibition previews, professional talks to poetry readings and brass bands, concerts and tea dances, the line-up certainly administered justice to this illustrious celebration of the arts.

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