On 1st February, Independent Arts’ Youth Group, Arts Lab, proudly unveiled their latest project, the Save Our Future mural, now on display at Skates on Newport Quay. This striking artwork is a testament to the creativity, commitment, and environmental consciousness of the young artists. A Bold and Thoughtful Design The mural’s design is both graphic and evocative, using a deliberately limited colour palette to capture the many shades of the sea while enhancing its visual impact. The mural juxtaposes the ideal of a pristine, healthy ocean with a depiction of a polluted environment, highlighting the devastating effects of plastic pollution on marine life. A key feature is the innovative wire fish sculptures—powerful symbols of the waste that plagues our oceans. Crafted during dedicated wirework sessions, these sculptures contrast sharply with the vibrant, healthy ocean scene, reinforcing the urgent need to protect our environment. Inspiration and Creative Process Named by the young artists themselves, Save Our Future represents their passion for environmental change. The project began with brainstorming sessions and mind maps, where the group chose to champion the cause of cleaner oceans. After exploring murals across Newport and voting on their mural’s form, they decided on a painting/sculpture hybrid. Their sketches were digitised, projected onto plywood for scaling, and developed into a cohesive colour scheme. The group also experimented with sculptures made from donated beach waste, inspired by the giant wire fish waste bin on Brighton Beach. Voices from the Community Evie Clarke, who runs the Arts Lab project, shared her enthusiasm: "We’ve had such a fantastic time making our mural, and we’re incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received throughout. I’ve seen such a positive change in our brilliant young people during this project. It’s been wonderful to hear what they care about and to see them take responsibility for making a difference for all of our futures. They have shown great teamwork, creativity, and dedication! I am so proud to have been part of this project and to see the mural come to life. I’d also like to thank our amazing volunteer, Bella Cuoghi-Smith, who has been a fantastic support, a friendly face, and a listening ear to our group." Richard Quigley MP also praised the initiative, stating: "Well done to Independent Arts’ youth group Arts Lab on their fantastic new mural… Projects like this make such a difference and bring communities together." About Arts Lab and Future Projects. Arts Lab is a creative experimentation group for young people aged 11–16, exploring youth-led social action through art. In addition to their annual exhibition and community projects—including contributions to local events like the carnival—Arts Lab is now working towards their next exhibition in May 2025. Continuing the Save Our Future theme, this exhibition will address issues such as homelessness, wildlife preservation, endangered species, and challenges posed by social media and cyberbullying. Sessions run every Thursday from 4:30 to 6:00 pm at Independent Arts’ Creative Hub, including during school holidays. Young people interested in joining can contact [email protected]. Independent

We're excited to announce that our new Spring What's On Guide is ready and waiting for you! Brimming with an inspiring lineup of creative sessions for all, this guide is your passport to a season of artistic wellbeing on the Isle of Wight. You can collect your copy at the Creative Hub or from various local spots across the Island. Since not everyone is online, we’d love your help in getting the word out: If you have a workplace, community space, or any venue where our guide can be displayed, please consider helping us share it. Interested in collecting a few copies from the Creative Hub and distributing them to places where they can be seen? Your support would be invaluable! If you’re keen to help or need more details, please get in touch with us. Together, we can make this spring a season of creativity and connection. Thank you for being a vital part of our community! *Edit 27/04/25 We’ve spotted a small error in our What’s On guide—please note that East Cowes SingAbout takes place on Thursdays from 2–4pm, and SingAbout Lake is on Fridays from 10:30am–12:20pm. Apologies for any confusion, and we look forward to welcoming you!

Discovering Landscapes a new project from National Landscapes with Independent Arts - The Isle of Wight National Landscape is for everyone to visit, enjoy and take care of. The project Discovering Landscapes will open up routes for Isle of Wight residents to begin a journey of Nature Connection and develop a relationship with the landscape. The project will focus on those who have previously faced barriers in accessing the landscape. Independent Arts are delighted to have been invited by National Landscapes to join the project as one of three delivery partners and have devised Earth Star as their creative response to the aims set down by National Landscapes to increase nature connectedness for Island residents. Programmes Manager Kerry Tindall explains:  ‘Earth Star is offered as part of this exciting National Landscapes project to ten home educating families and fifteen home educated children on the Isle of Wight. Our programme opened in early January, and in the weeks running up to our first trip out into the landscape at Carisbrooke our group have been exploring wayfinding. The idea of wayfinding is so interesting both personally, literally and educationally, and has given us great opportunities to wrap geography and ethnology and human experience into our creative planning.  During these chilly, icy January weeks we have been looking at the life and work of 19C. Newport born, artic explorer Edgar Greenshield who spent many years living with the Inuit people of the artic and sub-artic regions.  These people crossed the great polar ice fields by studying the sastrugi (repeating patterns of sculpted ridges in the snow formed by prevailing winds). It has been a lot of fun learning together with our group about this process of navigation following directional winds, and comparing how we move through and experience our landscapes and surroundings today, when we have so many digital and gps aids to do the job for us! We’ve had some great table discussions, and the group have made their own way maps with some surprising and very personal way marks. It will be interesting to see how they begin to choose their own way marks from the areas of the landscape we will be visiting over the next six months. In these early workshops we have also been recreating sastrugi patterns using spray paints and folded papers with some really striking results!’ The project will run for seven months with Independent Arts, and there are plans for several visits out into the landscape with home educating families.

Our Autumn "What’s On" Guide is here, packed with creative activities, workshops, and events running throughout the season at Independent Arts! You can pick up a copy at our Creative Hub in Newport or find it at locations across the Isle of Wight. Drop by the Creative Hub to grab a copy of the Autumn guide, filled with activities for all ages. Whether you’re interested in joining yourself, bringing friends, or finding something fun for the family, this guide has it all. We know some people may not have easy online access, so we’d love your help reaching them! If you know someone who might benefit from our sessions, please share a guide with them. If you can display a few guides at your workplace, community centre, or other local spaces, it would be a huge support in helping us reach as many people as possible with these creative opportunities. If you’d like to help distribute the "What’s On" Guide or need extra copies, we’d be delighted to hear from you. Your involvement makes a real impact in connecting the Island with enriching and accessible arts activities. A huge thank you to everyone who helps share our guide and promote the arts within our community. We’re looking forward to a fantastic autumn season full of creativity, connection, and inspiration. For more information or to get involved, please contact us.