Island Games Opening Ceremony awarded major lottery funding

The grant will support a 14-month creative arts programme that will engage over 1000 able bodied and disabled young students in the creation of a spectacular Opening Ceremony comprising a high quality themed and choreographed carnival parade through the streets of Ryde and a special performance on the seafront where the official opening ceremony will take place.  It is anticipated the whole event will be viewed by 25,000 – 30,000 people locally, plus viewers worldwide.

David Ball, Chairman of the 2011 Organising Committee said “It is already clear that because our Games are the largest multi sporting event in Great Britain in the year before the Olympic Games there will be an unusually high level of publicity both at home and abroad. It is therefore important that we create the right image from the start of the Games and this very welcome grant from the Arts Council will be of great assistance to us in creating that image and involving so many members of our local community in this event “

The IW Council’s Carnival Learning Centre will manage this large scale outdoor project which will engage a wide range of organisations and individuals in carnival arts and street arts training.

Chris Slann, Manager of the Carnival Learning Centre said “This is great news, and the investment will leave a legacy of greater, in depth carnival arts skills within the communities of the Isle of Wight and a significantly strengthened youth based arts sector.

The outline plan for the Opening Ceremony project was formulated following consultation with schoolteachers and community leaders, and representatives from the Island Games Association, Extended Schools Service, Carnival Groups and the Carnival Learning Centre.

The NatWest Island Games 2011 will be the largest sporting event held in the UK prior to the Olympic Games in 2012 and has received endorsement by Lord Coe, Chair of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games who states “Not only do I endorse the Games as part of our international strategy, I also endorse it as a mile mark en route to 2012”.

Around 4000 athletes and supporters from 24 islands are expected to attend, competing in several hundred events across 14 sports during the course of the week.

Also download an invite to join us for a Briefing/Launch meeting for the 2011 Island Games Parade