By Isle of Wight Observer
Around 60 guests were presented with 4 new art commissions created as part of the Lift the Lid project on Sunday (Sept 15) at Quay Arts Centre.
Guests were treated to a story inspired by Phlegm’s Ventnor Giant mural, presented by
storyteller Sue Bailey and created by pupils from an Island school. The Great Light and Dark Show, an event in Totland by artist Julie Myers back in June 2019 was represented by a film documenting both the event and the people of Totland. BearFace Theatre CIC then performed ‘We that breathe’, a community theatre show inspired by folklore stories from The Sacred Isle’s Paul Wilson, workshops with residents at Mountbatten Hospice and the WOW Women’s Centre in Newport, with help from a puppet workshop at Barton Primary.
Finally the audience were shown a excerpt from Dmitri Galitzine’s film Back and Forth, featuring many East Cowes residents.
So what’s next for Lift the Lid? Jacqui Cusack, Arts Manager at Quay Arts, lead partner of the Cultural Education Partnership who commissioned the art said: “The past year has been about exploring the cultural heritage of the Island through art commissions in unexpected places and we’re so pleased with progress.
“Now we are focusing on helping teachers get to grips with OFSTED’s mandate to build cultural capital in children and young people, and so we have expanded our annual Cultural Expo event to a full blown conference featuring the well-known educationalist Professor Mick Waters.
“We’ll be at Oakfield CE Primary School in Ryde on Friday, October 11 and I’d like to invite all headteachers and arts coordinators, plus school governors with a focus on the arts, to join us for this inspiring day.”
