Q. You not only lead the Isle of Wight Creative Network, it’s an organisation you founded. Can you tell us about the moment you thought yes, I’m going to start a new initiative, from scratch?
A. The idea for the IW Creative Network grew out of a real gap I was seeing in the arts community here. Back then, I was working part-time as the Visual Arts Manager at Quay Arts. The local authority had just cut the Arts Development Officer position due to funding cuts, so suddenly, there was this huge need for artists and creatives to get support – whether for building connections, finding opportunities, or even just navigating funding applications.
I kept coming back to the idea of building a place where Island creatives could find each other, collaborate, and access resources. While I was part of networks across the Solent, like Creative Network South and Visual Arts South West, there wasn’t anything similar for the Isle of Wight. We face unique challenges as an island, so it felt like our community was being left out of the support that mainland creatives could easily access.
After some unsuccessful attempts with Arts Council England to get the project off the ground, I finally got the green light in late 2021 with an ACE project grant and support from the IW Council, and in 2022 the IW Creative Network was launched. The response was amazing – I’d anticipated for about 40 creatives to sign up, but this was doubled! Seeing that enthusiasm and need was the real turning point. It gave me the push to leave my role at Quay Arts after 14 years and focus on growing this network in a freelance capacity. It was a big leap, but it’s incredibly rewarding to see how much it’s meant to the creative community here on the island.
Q. Along with leading the IW Creative Network, you’re also the Deputy Director of Creative Island. How do the 2 organisations work together to serve artists and the community?
A. Creative Island and the IW Creative Network are deeply connected, each with a complementary role in supporting the arts on the Isle of Wight. I initially launched the IW Creative Network as an independent project, focused on helping local creatives find business support, develop skills, and connect with each other. It really took off, which showed there was a big need for this type of resource. Meanwhile, Creative Island, as the cultural development agency for the Isle of Wight, works on a broader level, strategically across the Island – covering everything from arts organisations and libraries to heritage and education services.
“That’s the magic of creative work – it offers perspectives that broaden us and help us see beyond ourselves.”
I saw a natural fit between our two missions so, in 2023, we decided to bring IW Creative Network under the Creative Island umbrella so the Network is delivered by Creative Island. This means we can leverage Creative Island’s resources and connections to keep the Network thriving as part of our talent development offer. Within Creative Island, we’re able to support creatives from every angle – through funding, opportunities, skills building, and connecting them with the larger cultural landscape. It’s a collaborative approach that allows both the Network and Creative Island reach more creatives and have a greater impact on the community.
Q. How can Island writers benefit from joining the IW Creative Network?
A. Joining the IW Creative Network offers Island writers a way to connect with other creatives, build their visibility, and access resources specifically tailored for independent artists and freelancers. Writing can be an isolating craft, so being part of a network of other creatives – whether they’re writers, artists, or designers – brings a sense of community and support. The Network organises regular training and workshop sessions, 1-2-1 mentoring, advisory sessions and networking events that give writers a chance to hone their business skills, understand the publishing landscape, and discover new ways to promote their work.
Plus, the IW Creative Network’s online platform and social media channels provide valuable exposure, allowing writers to showcase their work and attract potential readers and collaborators. It’s about creating opportunities for growth and making those essential connections that can lead to new projects and even funding opportunities. But essentially, the IWCN offers writers – and all creatives – a way to be seen, supported, and connected within our creative Island community.
Q. In 2023 while developing your practice as a cultural consultant and creative producer you visited Amsterdam to examine that community’s celebration of art, technology and artificial intelligence. How do you imagine GI (genuine intelligence) and AI coexisting in the arts and creative industries in the future?
Visiting Amsterdam gave me a lot to think about on how AI is evolving in the arts and what it could mean for the future. The NXT Museum’s ‘Life in a Different Resolution’ exhibition was a powerful example. The pieces weren’t just about technology; they explored deep human questions – identity, privacy, how we see ourselves. I think that’s where AI and art can connect meaningfully – AI is a tool, but it’s always artists and creators shaping how it’s used, with their own perspectives at the core.
“I do see AI potentially enhancing our ability to tell stories and to explore big questions, especially when artists use it to raise awareness around issues like climate change or social challenges. “
Of course, there are valid concerns around AI, and there’s no replacement for the unique experiences and creativity that come from human intelligence. But I do see AI potentially enhancing our ability to tell stories and to explore big questions, especially when artists use it to raise awareness around issues like climate change or social challenges. For me, the future of AI in the arts isn’t about replacing the human aspect but creating space for deeper, more impactful interactions – AI can open new doors, but we’re the ones deciding where they lead.
Q. Who or what inspires the work you do? Do any writers of fiction influence or enliven your work in arts and culture?
A. I find inspiration in so many of the people I’ve had the privilege to work alongside in the arts – people like Paula Orrell, Director of CVAN (Contemporary Visual Arts Network) at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, who’s deeply committed to supporting the visual arts, and Gill Nicol, an art and audiences consultant and founder of ‘Lights Going On’, whose approach to visitor experience, inclusion, and audience development is just brilliant. I also believe in the power of learning from peers; there’s something less intimidating and more collaborative about peer-to-peer exchanges, where everyone’s knowledge and experience can fuel collective growth.
“Alan Lane’s…reflections on the power of ‘ordinary’ people to create extraordinary change speaks directly to the work we do at Creative Island.”
A few books which I’ve recently read that really resonated with me are: ‘Making Your Life as an Artist’ by Andrew Simonet reminds me why cultural work is so essential in today’s rapidly changing world. I love his line about diversity of thought and imagination making us more resilient – so fitting for the creative work I do. Alan Lane’s ‘The Club on the Edge of Town’ also had a profound impact. His reflections on the power of ‘ordinary’ people to create extraordinary change speaks directly to the work we do at Creative Island.
But what truly drives me is being a part of this community and witnessing the incredible growth of the creatives we work with. Watching an artist or writer develop their practice, bring new projects to life, and push creative boundaries is the most satisfying part of what I do – it reminds me daily why this work matters.
Q. Is there a book you read as a child or young person that shaped the adult you’ve become?
A. I wish I could say I was swept up by something like ‘Lord of the Flies’ or ‘Blood Brothers’, but I’ve always been a slow reader, and fiction or non-fiction, have often taken me ages to finish. Non-fiction, however, has always had a way of drawing me in. I remember being around 12 or 13 and randomly picking up a book at the school library ‘Behind the Smile’, an autobiography by Lisa Potts. Lisa was a primary school teacher who, in 1996, shielded her students from an attacker armed with a machete at the school, suffering severe injuries herself. She tells the story of that day, the traumatic aftermath, and how she coped with sudden fame and receiving the George Medal for bravery. The book’s impact on me was huge – probably because I was just 9 or 10 years old when the event happened, around the time I was going through my own major life shift after being diagnosed with leukaemia.
“I love Andrew Simonet’s line about diversity of thought and imagination making us more resilient.”
Reading Lisa’s story after my recovery resonated with me because it showed the resilience people can find in the darkest circumstances, especially when children are involved. Her story of courage and recovery taught me a lot about hope and finding purpose after trauma. It may seem like an unusual book to name as influential, but it gave me a deep sense of the power of compassion and resilience.
There were a number stage plays and books I studied in Theatre and English Literature that felt more like windows than mirrors. Anything from ‘Macbeth’ and ‘Fever Pitch’ to ‘The Breath of Life’ and ‘Accidental Death of an Anarchist’. They allowed me to lose myself, as great writing and art often does. That’s the magic of creative work – it offers these perspectives that broaden us and help us see beyond ourselves.
Go to https://iwcreativenetwork.com/ to read more about the IW Creative Network. Joining is affordable and the Directory is an ideal place to meet fellow Island artists and collaborators.
Brevity 