A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for this year’s IW Creative Industries Conference on 24th March 2026 – whether you were in the room at Building 41 or tuning in via the live stream.
It was a brilliant day of honest conversation, practical insight and shared thinking about what it means to build a creative life and career on the Isle of Wight.
If you would like to download a welcome pack, please click here.
Missed it or want to revisit a session?
You can now watch the full conference back here: https://youtu.be/0SkDie-yVkU
For ease, we’ve timestamped each session:
• 0:00:00:00 – Welcome & introductions from Gavin Stride & Georgia Newman (Creative Island)
• 0:09:00:00 – Effie Moss (Founder, on business strategy & “the bit in the middle”)
• 0:28:00:00 – Matt Jeffery (Brightbulb & IW Chamber – growing a creative business on the Island)
• 0:56:16:00 – Nicky Kildunne (Federation of Small Businesses – support available)
• 1:16:34:00 – Jack Aling (Rebel Business School – IW Creative Programme 2026)
• 1:40:40:00 – Zoie Golding (ZoieLogic Dance Theatre – keynote & workshop)
• 2:54:24:00 – Panel discussion & audience Q&A (Zoie Golding, Effie Moss and Designer & Art Director Sean Turner, facilitated by specialist in artist support, Alys Scott-Hawkins).
What came up on the day
Alongside the talks, we gathered thoughts from attendees through discussion and lunch-time prompts. A few key themes stood out:
1. People want to connect & collaborate
There’s real appetite to move beyond networking and into making things collaboratively – shared projects, partnerships and new ideas.
2. Sustainability is front of mind
Income, funding and visibility continue to be key challenges. There’s strong interest in diversifying income streams and building more stable creative businesses.
3. Space matters
Knowing where to access to affordable, accessible space – for making, rehearsing, teaching and showing work – came up again and again.
4. Practical support is needed
There’s demand for hands-on, useful support around:
• marketing and visibility
• business development
• funding and income generation
5. Purpose-led work is growing
Many creatives are exploring work connected to:
• wellbeing
• community
• education
• environment
A standout moment
Zoie Golding’s keynote and workshop were a real highlight of the day.
Her session brought a different energy into the room – combining movement, reflection and action. It created space for people to think honestly about where they’re at, what’s holding them back, and what they want to do next. There was a strong response to this more participatory, peer-led way of working – something we’ll be thinking about how to build on.
What happens next
We’re now taking these insights forward to shape the next phase of the IW Creative Network – looking at things like:
- Peer-to-peer support and exchange
- Practical skills and business development sessions
- Opportunities for collaboration and project development
- Better connections to space, resources and opportunity
We’d love your feedback
If you came along (in person or online), we’d really appreciate hearing from you! Share your feedback here: https://forms.gle/Zwivedq14RHoRSA29
Your input will directly shape what we do next.
Stay part of the conversation
If something sparked an idea, a need, or a potential collaboration – we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch here: georgia@iwcreativenetwork.com
Thank you!
Thanks again to all our speakers, partners and attendees, and to everyone contributing to a growing, connected creative community on the Island!