I have been thinking a lot about change recently and how it can lead to unexpected outcomes. Eight weeks into post as the new Head of Culture Division I’ve already seen positive changes on site at VillaGaiety – Parent and Baby screenings have returned to the Broadway Cinema, the new allium bulbs have been blooming and I’ve been enjoying learning more about the experiences and interests of a team of over forty people in the Division.
Returning to the Island to take up the role has been a pleasure so far; the community are welcoming and the air is fresh, and I relish seeing the sea every day. I am surprised regularly with what I’m learning about Culture Division and our different event spaces and venues here in the Island’s capital. And as my first blog I wanted share some of my favourite unexpected learnings so far.
First up is the size and scope of our physical presence on the island – at Culture Division we are responsible for and proud ambassadors of brilliant, iconic and vital community assets which include the Gaiety Theatre, Villa Marina, Villa Marina Arcade and Gardens, Kensington Arts, and The Great Union Camera Obscura. The latter, managed by committed volunteers, is a gem hiding in plain sight on Douglas Head and I encourage everyone to visit to take in the captivating living art images projected by a complex system of mirrors, designed by the Victorians as a rare and innovative tourist attraction.
The Villa Marina Gardens have also been a revelation for me for their beauty, breadth and use by the surrounding community of residents, high street shoppers and parents needing a space to allow their kids to play freely. We are home to a woodland on the bank which glows with bluebells in spring, and if followed the path leads up to an ancient water tower, an active and successful bowling club green and two further former greens surrounded by trees which together create a natural enclave of calm.
At Kensington Arts, up the road from the seafront, innovation happens on an almost daily basis. With young people encouraged to explore their creativity in a supportive, inclusive space of which they can take ownership over there are fruitful unexpected results to learn from. Important themes such as sustainability are being explored through a young person initiating the second-hand clothes swap rail allowing users to update their wardrobe cost effectively, and the repurposing of musical equipment into furniture for the Soundcheck basement to create an authentic space that hasn’t cost the earth’s resources to furnish.
The whole Division team have surprised me with their warmth and appetite for development. From the reception staff member who came to our first meeting with a notepad of ideas for events for the buildings, based on audience comments they received; to the colleague in the General Services team whose passion for visual art and live music was palpable on meeting them. Without knowing the exact sum, I’d approximate that the team collectively have over 200 years’ experience of working in the entertainment and hospitality industries as well as the Division; running venues, engaging with and serving the community and supporting as many people as possible to celebrate and access creativity and culture.
How many years I will contribute in the next collective 100 I can’t yet say, but I would guess from the potential I see from the team, venues and community for creativity and arts there will be enough work for me for a very long time. For now, this work will include piloting different events across the programme, improving the technical capabilities of our larger spaces with a particular focus to better the audience’s audio experience, and looking nationally at our community engagement. If you have any ideas on what the next 100 years might hold for Culture Division, my email can be found on the DESC website here.