This May 10th - 22nd, the Isles of Scilly will come alive like never before in a 13-day celebration of music, theatre, spoken word, visual arts and island life, including pop up events and intrigues to delight and inspire.

The Creative Scilly festival, organised by Islands’ Partnership’s Creative Islands team with support from Arts Council England, will feature an eclectic mix of events, workshops, courses, demonstrations, talks and performances in the most unique of island settings, welcoming a host of imaginative and artistic talent from artists and creatives on the islands themselves, and across the 28 miles of water in Cornwall and beyond.

Scilly is home to a thriving community of talented artists, creative writers and inventive artisans, and has inspired artists including Kurt Jackson, Luke Jerram, Gordon Young and Anthony Garratt, as well as writers such as the former Children’s Laureate Michael Morpurgo and crime novelist, Kate Rhodes who have both set several of their books on the islands.

Indeed, Kate will be joining the festival to share her new work which is based on Scilly including the Hell Bay crime series whilst Luke and Gordon will also share details during the festival of their respective plans - for a proposed moon sculpture to mark the opening of the new Dark Skies Observatory on St. Martin’s and a public installation on St. Mary’s.

Further highlights of the 13-day festival include performances of charming music and the spoken word by the celebrated folk quartet The Story Republic, who will be popping up all over the islands (so keep an eye out); Stamp and Go, who will deliver a radio play telling the scandalous story of the Bishop and the Diva set on Rosevear when the Bishop Rock lighthouse was being built; and Ed Rowe, the Kernow King, who makes another welcome return to the islands he so loves for a stand-up comedy night, performances at the Five Islands Academy and a community reading of a new play script. Rogue Theatre will dish up a taste of their magical and hilarious performances; celebrated Cornwall based novelist and writer Wyl Menmuir leads a creative writing walk, and Harbottle and Jonas return to Scilly for a couple of folk concerts around the islands.

Creative Scilly will also see the launch of “Walking stories” – five new audio books which have been specially commissioned to be best enjoyed on each of the inhabited islands. Highlights include stories by local musician Piers Lewin set on his beloved St. Agnes and a Tresco set story by Sam Llewellyn.

Paint the Day returns this year as part of Creative Scilly – as budding artists young and old, local and visiting, amateur and professional, are challenged to capture a day on Tresco (on Saturday 11th May) with the resulting masterpieces all displayed and shared at the Tresco Island Gallery, and prizes awarded to the winning entries in a number of categories.

Throughout the festival, there will also be a range of arts and crafts workshops led by local and mainland artists, in particular from the Phoenix Craft Studios, a co-operative of six artists and craftspeople on St. Mary’s whose work beautifully bears witness to Scilly’s untamed wildlife and landscapes.

Other highlights include the chance to join artist Sue Lewington, well known for her published sketchbooks of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, on a sketching walk, the opportunity to learn to weave at a workshop on St. Agnes with Trish Peacock of Twisted Bobbins, a “magical fish” pottery workshop with Bryher’s Alex Bagnall, a “cowbell” workshop with St. Martin’s based silver jewellery maker, Fay Page, and an evening of music at the candlelit Old Town Church with talented local musicians Duo Prosperro.

In addition to the Creative Scilly Festival, Creative Islands is hosting a three-day symposium from 8th – 10th May in collaboration with Isles of Scilly library and the Isles of Scilly Museum. Kindly funded by Cultivator Cornwall and Plymouth University, the cultural symposium will see around 30 delegates from various island communities and arts organisations around the UK arrive on the Isles of Scilly for a series of lectures and seminars, as well as trips to the some of the other islands to visit studio workshops.

David Jackson, Executive Director for Visit Isles of Scilly, says: “We’re delighted that Creative Islands has put together such a fantastic programme for our first Creative Scilly festival and are extremely grateful for the support that Arts Council England and our local sponsors have afforded us. We are equally delighted to be hosting the cultural symposium as a fringe event, which not only provides an opportunity for us to showcase the wealth of creativity and artistic talent on the islands, but also to share learning and exchange ideas with peers and professional colleagues from further afield.

“May is a fantastic time to escape to Scilly, with longer, warmer days and colour flooding into the landscape and we look forward to welcoming visitors, old and new, so that they can soak up and celebrate with us the fantastic artistic and creative talent that fills our islands.”

The full programme is available to view at www.visitislesofscilly.com/creativescilly and tickets are on sale now.

The Islands’ Partnership is delighted to announce the Scilly Business Week Programme 2019 which is taking place 18th – 22nd March.

The week-long series of workshops, presentations and networking events are all designed to help enhance the productivity, creativity and profitability of businesses operating across the islands. As usual, the business week will feature the Islands’ Partnership annual Tourism Forum with updates on business and island activity from the Islands’ Partnership, Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, Council of the Isles of Scilly, Isles of Scilly Steamship Company, Tresco Island, Duchy of Cornwall and Creative Islands, as well as specific detailed workshops with guest speakers from award-winning businesses to seek solutions to extend Scilly’s season and set a new Scilly “Standard”.

The event is once again kindly sponsored by the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Growth & Skills Hub who help businesses access the right support and training opportunities to work smarter, develop and grow. New for 2019 is a specific Business Support Market Place and networking lunch on Tuesday 19th, led by Chris Phillips, Senior Business Connector from the Growth Hub and Trish Peacock, Business Connector from the Skills Hub, bringing together providers of finance, business skills, specialist projects and training opportunities under one roof for Scilly’s businesses to access.

Hot topics this year include digital updates and tips for selling online and voice / social commerce; engaging with customers in the Instagram age (the social media for business in 2019); ensuring VAT registered businesses are ready for the introduction of digital tax returns, and website / SEO MOT workshops. There are also presentations and workshops on the future of the Smart Islands Partnership – including the Business Energy Efficiency Scheme and Go- EV (Electric Vehicles) Project – and how to improve Scilly’s public realm and the retail environment.

Derek Thomas MP completes the line up in the afternoon of Friday 22nd March with a surgery and discussion about Brexit and what the outcomes will mean for businesses on Scilly. There will then be a complimentary trip for all Scilly Business Week attendees who wish to visit the brand new Community Observatory on St. Martin’s which opens to the public on 1st April. This is one in a series of complimentary Locals’ Discovery Days that will be taking place in the early season.**

“Scilly Business Week is now well established on the Islands’ Partnership calendar. Indeed, five years on, we’ve introduced new elements to the programme to complement the workshops, including a Locals’ Discovery Day series, Market Place and Annual Tourism Forum to ensure it remains compelling and relevant to Scilly’s business community,” says David Jackson, Islands’ Partnership Executive Director. “We’re also delighted this year to welcome Derek Thomas MP and high calibre speakers – Jill Landeryou from one of Cornwall’s leading self-catering accommodation experts, Latitude50; Mightier Words’ Suzie Inman, handmade giftware retail guru Poppy Treffry; and Founder & CEO of the “What do you think” movement, Poppy Barnfield OBE - alongside a raft of industry experts in their field. We hope that business owners from across the islands will see the value of this year’s Scilly Business Week and sign up to lots of the workshops on offer.”

“The Islands’ Partnership have put together a really great programme for this year and we are delighted to be working with them again to make sure businesses on Scilly can make the most of the development opportunities out there,” adds Stu Anderson, Operations Director for Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Growth Hub & Skills Hub. “It’s a great fit with the work that we do at the Growth & Skills Hub, connecting business owners and entrepreneurs with the right support and training opportunities to help them work smarter and grow in a way that is right for them. This year the Skills Hub will also be promoting the Access to Training Fund, which is available to help businesses with travel costs to attend training on the mainland.”

Participants can book their places by calling the Islands’ Partnership office on 01720 620601 or emailing [email protected]. All the sessions are free. (Priority for IP members if necessary.) The full programme can be viewed here: Business Week 2019 Programme FINAL.

** Other Locals’ “Discovery” outings include the Isles of Scilly Museum opening on Wednesday 13th March 2.30-4pm; Tresco Abbey Garden tour 11am – 12noon, Monday 1st April, and a St. Agnes Sea Safari for locals with St. Agnes Boating and the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust on Wednesday 3rd April 1pm – 3pm.