IW Creative Network

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IW Creative Network

Supporting Artists & Creatives on the Isle of Wight through talent development & networking.

24/08/2026

📣 OUR NEXT GROUP CRIT SESSION IS….
Monday 28 September, 5.30–7.30pm | Quay Arts, Newport | Free 🙌

Facilitated by specialist in artist support Alys Scott Hawkins | Artist 🤓, our quarterly Group Crits are open to creatives working across visual and performance art, animation, moving image, sound, photography and craft. Each session invites one artist to share work-in-progress with a small group and receive honest, constructive feedback in a supportive setting.
For our September crit, Fine Art Photographer will share her ongoing project “Out of Place”, exploring consumerism and discarded objects collected from her local beach in Ryde. Through recent works, Zoë transforms beach-found rubbish into striking photographic compositions that contrast visual beauty with the troubling environmental reality they represent. With her work from the project also on exhibition at Quay Arts, the crit will offer a unique chance to view the work in situ and help Zoë explore where the project might go next.

These sessions are just one of the ways we’re helping Island creatives develop their work, build confidence and connect with one another. 🫶
To attend our September Group Crit, click the link in our bio under ‘NEWS & OPPS’.

First image 📸

Alys Scott-Hawkins

09/08/2026

✨ Wowzers! It’s been two weeks since we welcomed audiences into ’s Bosco Theatre for an evening of bold new ideas, creative risks and works-in-progress from some incredibly talented Island performers.

A huge thank you to everyone who came along, bought a ticket and embraced the spirit of a Scratch Night. Your encouragement, curiosity and thoughtful feedback are a vital part of the creative process, helping artists develop their work and decide what comes next.
We’re incredibly proud to have provided a platform for , , & to share new work at such an early stage of its journey. It takes real courage to step in front of an audience before a piece is finished, and we’re so grateful to each of them for inviting us into that process.
A special thank you also goes to Tim Cooper aka for hosting the evening so brilliantly. Tim first shared work at one of our Scratch Nights last year before developing it into a full-length show at this year’s Ventnor Fringe – a wonderful reminder of exactly why opportunities like this matter. 🫶

Thank you to our brilliant partners .studios for continuing to champion new work alongside us, and to for supporting Scratch Night as part of this year’s festival. 🙌

📝 There’s still time to share your feedback!
If you attended Scratch Night, please check the email you received from Ventnor Fringe after the event. It contains links to the online feedback forms for each performance. Every comment helps our artists shape and strengthen their work as they continue developing these exciting new pieces.

If you’re interested in finding out more about our Scratch Nights or would like to take part in a future event, or about joining our network of IW Theatre companies - which receive FREE access to our Independent Theatre Council Hub membership, please email [email protected]

📸 Photos by

performance

27/07/2026

✨ Throwback to last week’s IW Creative Network Group Crit at .

Artist invited us to explore and discuss her evolving practice, which sparked thoughtful conversations around sculpture, movement, narrative and accessibility ahead of her solo exhibition ‘Freedom as a ‘State of Mind’.

🫶Honest feedback.
🫶Fresh perspectives.
🫶A room full of creatives helping each other move their work forward.
That’s what our Crit Groups are all about. 💙
A huge thank you to Lisa for sharing her practice so openly, to for facilitating another brilliant session, and to everyone who contributed. 💫

These quarterly Crit Groups are just one of the ways we’re helping Island creatives develop their work, build confidence and connect with one another. Interested in presenting your work at our September session? Email us at [email protected] to register your interest. 📩

22/07/2026

A warm and sunny artists brunch today ☀️

Thank you to all the wonderful creatives who came along - it was great to have a catch up, hear about your wonderful projects and immerse ourselves in a small patch of Ventnor Fringe !

One of the many perks of being a part of the IW Creative Network; networking events, workshops, 1-1 support and more.

Catch our next event, ‘Scratch night’ this Sunday as part of Ventnor Fringe. You can find us at at Bosco Theatre. 🎭

18/07/2026

🎭 Ventnor Fringe is here!

One of our favourite weeks of the year has officially begun! 🎉

With over 130 shows taking place across Ventnor between now and 26th July (including many from our fantastic IW Creative Network members), there’s never been a better time to head to the Island’s deep south and celebrate creativity.

If you’re a creative practitioner, artist or student, we’d love you to join us for our Free Creatives’ Brunch on Wed 22nd July, 12.30–2pm, at Ingrams Yard, Dudley Road, Ventnor.

Hosted by us - the IW CREATIVE NETWORK, this relaxed get-together is a chance to meet fellow creatives, make new connections and hear about current opportunities, including networking, mentoring, training and professional development.

Whether you’re performing at the Fringe or simply looking to connect with the Island’s creative community, everyone is welcome.

👉 Book your free place here: https://purchase.vfringe.co.uk/EventAvailability?EventId=64801
💻 Or search ‘Brunch’ on the Ventnor Fringe website.

16/07/2026

WE’RE BACK BABY! 🤩

✨ Scratch Night is at Ventnor Fringe! ✨

After a fantastic debut at Cowes Fringe last year, we’re delighted to bring Scratch Night to Ventnor Fringe 2026.

Produced by IW CREATIVE NETWORK in partnership with Mayflower Studios, Scratch Night is all about giving Island performers the chance to test bold new ideas, works-in-progress and creative experiments in front of a live audience. Your feedback helps shape where these pieces go next, making you part of the creative process.

This year’s line-up features:

🎭 Olly Fry – with ‘Temp’, a new play exploring burnout and mental health in teaching. Olly Fry

🎙️ Deadman – an exclusive preview of ‘Quay Memories’, commissioned by Creative Island and Quay Arts as part of CAN YOU HEAR US?. Deadman

🎶 Noah Johnson – an original musical blending mythology, mystery and modern sea shanties.

💃 Downland Movement Collective – presenting ‘Rewild’, a contemporary dance piece inspired by the Isle of Wight’s changing landscapes. Downland | Movement Collective

🎤 We’re also thrilled to welcome Tim Cooper back to host the evening. MAWGIAS

Tim first shared work at our inaugural Scratch Night in 2025, and that early audience feedback helped him develop it into a full-length show at this year’s Ventnor Fringe - a brilliant example of exactly why Scratch Nights matter.

🎪 Bosco Theatre, Ventnor Park
🗓️ Sunday 26 July
🕖 7.00–8.30pm
🎟️ Pay What You Can

Come and discover new work before anyone else and support the next wave of Island performance. 💫

👉 Book your tickets - click the post in NEWS & OPPS on our website / bio or go to: https://purchase.vfringe.co.uk/EventAvailability?EventId=51201

And if you’d like to see Tim’s brand-new full-length show, ‘The Courtesan, the Prince, Three Lovers and a Poet’, it’s on at Ventnor Fringe on Friday 24 July: https://purchase.vfringe.co.uk/EventAvailability?EventId=55801 🙌

08/07/2026

Cast your mind back to the start of 2026 (where has the time gone), when ventured over to the Isle of Wight to bring their out of the box business course to creative entrepreneurs.

We had a great time hosting everybody and we’re excited to say that the report from that 6-week course has now been released. Here are some of the highlights:

• It turns out 70% of you weren’t IW creative members (yet)
• 39% of you were already self-employed, compared to the usual 15% that attended in 2019
• 53% of you heard about the course through Instagram - hello!
• Most impressively, 73% of you overcame a barrier to enterprise as result of the course

A big thank you to for funding this opportunity and making it possible.

Head to the Creative Island website to read the full report and see the impact this course has had on local creatives.

03/07/2026

⚡️ ROUND 2 OF OUR 1:1 CREATIVE ADVISORY SESSIONS IS NOW OPEN! ⚡️
Need a sounding board for your creative practice? Whether you’re developing a new project, looking for artistic direction, refining your portfolio or preparing a funding application, our 1:1 Creative Advisory Sessions could help.
As part of the IW Creative Network’s talent development programme, members can now apply for Round 2 of our Creative Advisory Sessions with artist support specialist Alys Scott Hawkins | Artist.
Each successful applicant will receive a free 2-hour 1:1 session, tailored to your individual practice and ambitions.

“After speaking with Alys for just two hours I was buzzing with ideas and excited to start creating work again. I came away with a new project that felt totally aligned with my practice.” – Sara Truckel, artist

Alys brings a wealth of experience in artist development, mentoring and arts funding through her work with a-n, The Artists Information Company, ‘a space’ arts, Southampton, and her own consultancy, Alys Scott-Hawkins. She is also a member of the Artist Council, the advisory panel for a-n. 🤓

🗓️ Sessions will take place during August 2026
⏰ Application deadline: Sunday 19 July, 12 noon
👉 Apply via the Special Opportunities section of the IW CREATIVE NETWORK website.

Tag an IWCN member who might benefit from a bit of dedicated time to reflect, refocus and take the next step in their creative practice. 💙

Address

Building 41, Newport Road, Cowes, PO31 8BX
Cowes
PO31 8BX

Website

https://linktr.ee/IWCreativeNetwork

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