Ryde Arts Festival was established in 2001 as a key strand of Ryde’s Regeneration Strategy, thanks, in the main, to funding from the government’s Single Regeneration Budget.
Today, the festival represents the biggest mixed arts event on the Isle of Wight. Local artists, promoters, companies and community groups are all involved in the planning and delivery of the festival, led by Ryde Development Trust. Together, they help to create a programme that proudly presents home-grown talent and ambitious community arts projects, alongside internationally-acclaimed artists.
Turning the tide for Ryde
In its short lifespan the festival has already made its mark on Ryde.
Some lady rang up:
asked if I’d like a day out.
ice-creams on Ryde Front.
© Malcolm Taylor 2004
A study of the Festival carried out in 2003, based on questionnaires completed by people attending events, as well as local hoteliers and publicans, shop-owners, schools and community groups, gave us an insight into its social and economic impact on the town:
More than £40,000 worth of additional, external grant funding has been attracted to the Island through the Festival so far, from agencies such as the Adult & Community Learning Fund, the Arts Council of England, Awards for All and the Local Heritage Initiative fund. The potential impact of the Festival, however, goes even further.
Taking Ryde Carnival as a case study (also researched in 2003), we can see that given further investment and time to establish itself, celebratory events such as this can help shape the identity of a community or town.
They can attract the attention of the regional and national media and draw in tourists from far and wide. And, like Ryde Carnival 2003, they can bring an estimated £789,000 into the local economy in a matter of a few nights.
Ryde Arts Festival was launched in style in 2001 with line-up that included two of the Island’s biggest local success stories – film director Anthony Minghella and comedian Phil Jupitus – together with 14 other national and international artists. The fortnight long programme boasted more than 50 events, staged at 19 venues around Ryde.
Initially called ‘Ryde Carnival & Arts Festival’ the event was strategically timed to coincide with the town’s carnival celebrations – the oldest in the country - and formed a key part of ambitious plans to both revive these and regenerate the town.
From the very beginning the programme was designed to encompass all aspects of the arts, from sand sculpture to stand-up comedy, catering for different tastes and age ranges. In its first year the Festival featured 26 free events, aiming to encourage maximum participation and help overcome contributing factors of social exclusion.
Reviews:
“Arts renaissance at great Ryde festival” Hattie Rowland, Isle of Wight County Press
“Notting Hill and Rio watch out – Ryde Carnival has arrived” Lori Little, Isle of Wight County Press
“Ryde Carnival and Arts Festival has something to please even the most peculiar of tastes.” Sally Churchward, Southern Daily Echo
The 2002 Festival built on the success of the previous year with an even busier programme and bigger audiences. In only its second outing the Festival consisted of 70 events staged at 23 venues around Ryde, including truly memorable performances from comedian Ross Noble and the London Community Gospel Choir.
Once again, the Festival also provided an opportunity to celebrate the Island’s home-grown talent with the acclaimed journalist, author and playwright Philip Norman returning to talk at the event.
Further enhancements were made to the town’s carnival celebrations at the same time, with the introduction of a global music stage providing free entertainment in the build-up to the Saturday night procession – one of 30 free events in the overall Festival.
Having played a central role in the successful revival of Ryde Carnival, in 2003 the Festival made the bold step of going solo – moving from the Carnival’s traditional summer holiday slot to a term-time event in July.
The move facilitated the involvement of schools and colleges in Festival activities and immediately paid off with the introduction of an Arts Festival Parade that in its first year featured almost every school in Ryde. The 2003 Festival also featured an exhibition of artwork by students graduating from Portsmouth School of Art, Media & Design. Overall, the 2003 Festival boasted 60 events (over 80% of which were completely free) across 25 venues throughout Ryde, featuring 17 visiting artists (or companies of artists), and involving over more than 2000 young people.
In 2006 a nine-day programme was brought together by Ryde Development Trust working with artists, performers, promoters and individuals. With no outside funding for the event, the Trust was dependent on its own business activities, the generous support of a few sponsors and the tireless effort of a small, but committed number of volunteers to present the programme.
The Arts Festival parade - organised by the IW Council Arts Unit - was moved from its traditional finale slot to curtain raiser. With over 1,000 revellers taking part and some of the most spectacular costumes yet seen on the Island, the parade proved an unforgettable opener not just for the festival but for the Island's summer carnival season.
In the week which followed, visitors and locals were able to enjoy a varied programme including live music, poetry, daily exhibitions - including a well received Hidden Ryde photographic exhibition - compiled, staged and manned by the Focus Ryde Imaging Group - which shared the lovely setting of The Depozitory with an impressive display of artwork by Ryde High School students.
Other popular features included the return of local historian Roy Brinton, who led a guided walk, poetry, live music and daily exhibitions including a well received Hidden Ryde photographic display, devised, presented and manned by members of the Focus Ryde Imaging group. This shared the lovely setting of The Depozitory (by kind permission of the owners) with an impressive display of contemporary art work by Ryde High School students. The programme also included a Magical Bookmark production created and presented by Learning Zone home educated children and their parents, an evening of short films captured at Island celebrations, and several opportunities to participate. At Artworks High Street store, artist Marcia Mence engaged passers-by in the creation of a giant canvas, while Craft Crazy staged face painting on parade day, make and take card and FIMO model workshops, and in Town Square youngsters were able to take part in a rainforest themed Young Pavement Artists competition.
Top
2001 2002 2003 2004
Ryde Arts Festival 2006 © copyright | designed & built by Isle of Wight Council Webteam & Generator Graphics
festivities facts friends & funders find us contact us
