Ryde And Newport High Streets Receive Cultural Funding Boost

Ryde is being unofficially 'twinned' with Ramsgate in Kent - and has been given an extra £95,000 as part of a cultural programme to bring the high street back to life.

Newport has also been awarded an additional £90,000 by Historic England.

It's part of the High Streets Heritage Action Zones’ initiative, which aims to revitalise the high street.

Both towns already received a share of more than £1 million last year to upgrade the public realm.

The latest round of funding will focus on 'cultural activity', and will be distributed over the next three years.

As part of the programme, Historic England has created fantasy town 'Isle of Rydesgate'.

The project twins Ramsgate in Kent and Ryde, and will see exhibitions of model high streets in town centre shops.

Ryde

In Ryde, two major projects are launching to celebrate Ryde’s tradition of outdoor arts.

Waving the Flag is a three-year project designed to strengthen and develop Ryde Carnival to ensure its sustainability for the future.

Abi Wheeler, Creative Director of Ryde Arts CIC said:

“Ryde Arts CIC are delighted to be leading the Waving the Flag project on behalf of the newly formed Cultural Consortium.

"We have a strong network of local partners who will be working together to combine an enormous wealth of knowledge and expertise with Outdoor Arts activities. After the disappointing setbacks of the last year, Ryde Carnival will be coming back to Ryde in 2022, stronger than ever.”

While, Stories of our Streets will bring to life Ryde High Street’s personal, commercial and entrepreneurial histories.

Both projects will use the physical space of the High Street and established cultural traditions to renew civic pride in the town.

Newport

Historic England is promising to offer a transformative programme of culture-led regeneration in Newport.

Renew Newport will focus on a children’s festival, a public art project, art exhibitions, museum displays, heritage talks and a rolling programme of concerts and workshop.

The consortium is made up of eight organisations led by cultural charity Independent Arts.

Isle of Rydesgate

Artist practice Mooch are working with residents, and students at Broadstairs College for their project, Isle of Rydesgate, a fantasy town that twins Ramsgate in Kent and Ryde.

In June, Islanders will be sent “craft kits” to decorate scale models of historic high street buildings.

Ellen Harrison, who heads up the creative programme and campaigns team at Historic England, told Isle of Wight Radio:

"In both high streets there will be a fictional model village that will be built. It's a really fun project for people to do at home and also come together to celebrate this combination of two high streets.

"The artist, Theresa, lives in Ramsgate but she is really really interested in Ryde as well. Obviously you've got the coastal connection there and the project as a whole is twinning places which have something in common. For example North Shields and Lancashire are both northern town united through shipping. For Ryde and Ramsgate it's about those being coastal towns and being connected to the sea."

From July to August, there will be exhibitions of the model high streets in town centre shops in Ryde and Ramsgate.

Among the buildings Islanders can draw are Ryde's former New Look building, and the Salvation Army building in the high street. A full list can be found here - https://www.mooch.co/project/rydesgate-model-high-street.

The deadline to send in a drawing is May 31. They can be sent via email to [email protected], with the subject Rydesgate Model Template.