In 2026, SIOW Music will be delivering ‘Song of Place’ an exciting song-writing project for Island of Culture on the Isle of Wight.
Song of Place is a cross-generational creative music project which will allow young people and communities across the Island to become the lead artistic voice in celebrating Island music and finding new audiences. Multiple groups will delve into different aspects of the island drawing inspiration from the environment, island life and the trailblazing communities that exist here, creating songs and soundscapes.
Who will we be reaching with this project?
Song-writing project work will intersect with a range of cross arts cultural partners and local ensembles (brass and marching bands, choirs, Folk on the Wight, carnivals) alongside schools, young people and their families with a particular focus on working in areas of the island in the highest indices of deprivation and those most unable or unlikely to access music making.
We will aim to reach over 3500 children and young people (half the school age population) with song-writing workshops and activities during 2026 across all phases from Early Years to HE including SEND and AP settings.
Activity will also take place in hyperlocal areas of the Island, in school settings, village halls, libraries and community spaces, inviting the Island’s amateur musicians to collaborate with nationally significant musicians and composers and to intermingle with communities not normally connected with music. Environmental sounds will be sampled from the Island’s mosaic of habitats and represented as soundscapes.
Exciting Outcomes & Working Together
A contemporary composer will be commissioned to write an ambitious new commission featuring the Island’s amateur ensembles and children. All the project strands will come together in a curated and digitally distributed Island of Culture album and playlist.
The content will be recorded, mixed and mastered during delivery in 2026 and extracts and the World Premiere will be performed at a one-of-a-kind large-scale event in Ventnor Exchange’s Big Top during Autumn 2026.
The project work, performance and recordings will feature local professional and amateur musicians and groups, schools, bedroom producers, emerging talent, young people and community groups, all working together to produce an ambitious and lasting work listened to, performed and remembered for years to come.
Listen on
Vectis Radio
Nia chats to Macca on Vectis Radio about the upcoming project! Listen from about 6 minutes into the episode.
