Next autumn, the Isle of Wight celebrates all that the Island is with “Can You Hear Us?”, a six-week celebration of creativity and culture taking place across the Island funded by Arts Council England. 

Our Partners at Creative Island are offering micro-grants and a fully funded leadership programme as part of this celebration.

Micro-Grants

“Can You Hear Us?” micro-grants programme is offering 20-25 grants of between £500 - £1,000 to support local groups to deliver creative activity, anywhere on the Isle of Wight, between March and October 2026. 

Deadline: 30 January 2026, 11.59pm

Full information on how to apply and FAQs can be found on Creative Islands’ website here.

Cultural Leadership Programme

As part of “Can You Hear Us?”, Creative Island are running a fully funded leadership programme for 12 individuals on the Isle of Wight from March to October 2026.

Who is it for?

We are looking for participants who want to make a positive difference to life on the Island and who are ready to grow and develop their skills as leaders.

You might not think of yourself as a leader, or feel that the word fits, but you might be someone who brings people together, makes things happen, or has a vision for how culture on the Island could grow and evolve.

Participants might include freelancers, artists and people working within organisations.

When we talk about culture, we mean the creative, heritage, environmental, social, education and library sectors, as well as the many community spaces where people come together, get involved and share what matters to them

Deadline: 25 January 2026, 11.59pm

Full details on what to expect and how to apply can be found here.

Micro Grants

Between £500 - £1,000 to support local groups to deliver creative activity on the Isle of Wight, between March & October 2026. 

Deadline: 30 January 2026, 11.59pm

APPLY NOW

Cultural Leadership Programme

We are looking for participants who want to make a positive difference to life on the Island and who are ready to grow and develop their skills as leaders.

Deadline: 25 January 2026, 11.59pm

apply now

SoundStorm’s exciting annual battle of the bands is launching for 2026 and we are super excited to be opening the invite to bands across the South Coast Music Partnership for the very first time!

BandStorm gives young bands aged 13 – 18, the opportunity to experience an audition, (often for the very first time), receive positive and constructive feedback on their performance skills from professional musicians, in state-of-the-art specialist facilities at BAMM (Bournemouth Academy of Modern Music).

Bands compete for a place in the Final, which is held at The Old Fire Station, in Bournemouth, a professional live music venue, where some great prizes are up for grabs too as a bonus!

Bands are supported with sound engineers and the SoundStorm team to ensure the whole process is a positive experience where they feel encouraged and supported in their musical journey.

Check out the feature film from last year’s competition where we followed the bands’ journey BandStorm 2025.

Who can apply:

• We welcome bands from any experience level and any genre.

• young bands aged 13 – 18

• from Southampton, Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole, Portsmouth, Isle of Wight.

Applications open: 9am Friday 24th October.

Deadline: 12/12/2025

Any questions can come direct to Jo.farley@bcpcouncil.gov.uk

Please check out the BandStorm page for full details of what’s involved via the button below.

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We're calling on young musicians across the UK to start their free musical adventure with NYO Inspire.

NYO Inspire is where teenage musicians find the free opportunities they need to grow, in music and in life. They accelerate as musicians with world-class tutoring and explore incredible music as part of the biggest orchestral music community they’ve ever seen.

Do you work with a musician who’s ready to turn their passion into progress?

Who can apply?

We welcome applications from 13-18 year-old musicians who play orchestral instruments at a level equivalent to Grade 6 and above. There is no need for any official grades, but applicants should be passionate about music and determined to take their playing to the next level.

We prioritise musicians with the greatest need for a place. It’s primarily for teenage musicians who go to state school, who are looking for more opportunities to grow. Full eligibility available on our website via the button below.

NYO Inspire events fill up fast, musicians should complete applications by 31 July to have the best chance of being invited to a local activity, for the first event of the year. Applications officially close 30 September 2025.

It’s completely free! Travel bursaries also available.