We have a little report from William King first! As you may have heard on Mandate, the winners of the Isle of Man Arts Council’s student bursaries have been announced, and William King went along to meet the winner of the Jonathan Gollow Award, Lily Ratnavel, winner of the Norman Sayle Award, Kipenzi Thomas and first of all, the winner of the Isle of Man Arts Council Award, Callum Rowe.

The Our Island Our World festival is taking place at the Peel Centenary Centre this weekend and there’s so much happening we couldn’t possibly fit all of it into one programme so Howard Caine spoke to the man himself, Mr Dave McLean to find out what we can look forward to.

We had a bit of Jally Kebba Susso to play us out, he’ll be performing on Saturday night along with Lava and the Baghdaddies. Don’t forget you can download or subscribe to Spotlight as a podcast on the Manx Radio website - I’ll be back next Wednesday, have a lovely creative week!

Author Martin Edwards will be visiting the Island to host a Murder Mystery night on Saturday 7th September at the Henry Bloom Noble Library in Douglas. He tells us what's in store for this event.

We have Peter Mitchell on the line from Ethio-jazz band, Agbeko who will be playing at this year’s Our Island Our World festival in Peel and they've already had a really busy year so far.

Catch this episode on demand or download it as a podcast on the Manx Radio website.

Subscribe to our Lorient Interceltic Podcast channel at www.manxradio.com and follow Manx Radio on Facebook and Instagram for regular photographs and videos from around the Festival. 

Find the show as a podcast at manxradio.com 

David Aldred of Mimesis joins me in the studio to explain how he and his performance partner explore culture and creativity through their immersive performances, which you can experience at the Erin Arts Centre this Friday at 7:30pm.

Download the Spotlight podcast on the Manx Radio website and tune in again next Wednesday at 5:30pm for more creative news.

Ros Bryant and Louise Martin talked to us about their exhibition at the Hodgson-Loom Gallery which runs until the 19th of July in Laxey so do head along to that to see their incredibly intricate work.

Photograph of paper tapestry by Louise Bryant is courtesy of the artist and the Hodgson-Loom Gallery

The Isle of Man Symphony Orchestra’s Summer Concert takes place this Saturday, July the 13th at St. Ninian’s Church in Douglas. The programme will include Bizet, Butterworth and an Isle of Man Premier by Manx Composer Roy Baker, who is the Symphony Orchestra’s Principal Clarinet player. The piece is called ‘On a Lonely Moor’ and incorporates some traditional Manx melodies. Tickets are £14 for adults, five for children and are available from the Lexicon Bookshop in Douglas and the Bridge Bookshops in Ramsey and Port Erin.

Tune in again next Wednesday evening at 5:30pm for more creative news from around the Isle of Man. Have a lovely, creative week!

First today we’re joined by Helena Greenlees, Head of Drama at QEII High School and students Conor and Summer who star in the school’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream takes place tonight and tomorrow night at QEII High School, for tickets get in touch with the school’s reception on 841000.

This week, the Service Players staging of ‘Communicating Doors’ hits the Gaiety Theatre stage tomorrow night, we’re now joined by Helen McKenna of the Service Players and Cliff Chapman, the show’s director.

Now, to a creative project with a difference. Cat Turner and Veronique Mistiaen are calling for Islanders to take part in a new initiative aimed at equipping Islanders facing various difficulties to tell their own stories and shed light on some of the issues faced by Islanders which may often be hidden from view.

That’s all we have time for this week, don’t forget you can download today’s programme as a podcast on the Manx Radio website and submit your own creative content to Spotlight@manxradio.com

Have a lovely, creative week!

If you’d like to share anything with us on the programme, do get in touch through Spotlight@manxradio.com and you can find details of everything featured today on our blog or stream, download or subscribe to the show all on the Manx Radio website.

Dominic Wilcox who has invented such marvels as GPS shoes and a stained glass driverless sleeper car, joins us today to discuss creativity. He graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2002 and has since worked with brands such as Kelloggs, BMW and Paul Smith.

And we’re back on home soil for our next interview. Dark Avenue Film is an award-winning two-person production company based here on the Isle of Man

I’ll be back next Wednesday at half past five with more creative news from around the Island. Have a lovely creative week!

If you’d like to share anything with us on the programme, do get in touch through Spotlight@manxradio.com and you can find details of everything featured today on our blog or stream, download or subscribe to the show all on the Manx Radio website.

Artist Karolina Pawlowska is our first guest this afternoon. There is a glorious exhibition of her paintings at the Isle Gallery right now which runs until the middle of July but you may also recognise her work from the rather large, colourful, mural in Castletown town centre

We’re also joined by Gemma Hjerth whose Isle of Man ABC is becoming a real hit across the Island

On Friday the 28th of June at 8:30 Penny Production's Pop-ups Present 'Sea Ghosts' - a ghostly collection of original spoken word performances in song, verse and prose from prize winning performance writers, Jackie Morrey Grace, Kim Kneen, Georgia Lisette and Simon Smart. This event will take place in the beautifully atmospheric and historic amphitheatre on Douglas Head.

Our first guest is bass trombone player for Rushen Silver Band and award winning young broadcaster, William King, who recently received a rather prestigious accolade for his achievements!

And we’re joined by father and daughter Art Dealers and Gallery Owners Anthony and Cory Fuller who have an exciting exhibition of work at The Nunnery tomorrow.

And that exhibition is for one day only so make sure you head to The Nunnery between 3 and 8pm tomorrow afternoon to see this exciting work and speak to Cory and Anthony in person.

I’ll be back next Wednesday at half past five with Spotlight so do join me then. Have a lovely, creative week!

Email us at Spotlight@manxradio.com if you have anything creative you’d like to share and catch-up on or subscribe to episode of Spotlight in podcast form on the Manx Radio website.

We have just one guest today who is here to tell us about an art form changing opera for the masses. Haydn Rawstron returns to the Island with his Narropera Trio on June 15th, when they'll be performing at the Peel Centenary Centre. For more information, visit the Peel Centenary Centre website.

Join me again next Wednesday at half past five for Spotlight but in the meantime, have a lovely creative week!

Spotlight@manxradio.com is the email address if you’d like to get in touch to share anything creative and head to the Manx Radio website to hear previous Spotlight episodes in their podcast form.

We start today’s programme touring the Island searching for wallabies with the Isle of man Arts Council who sponsored three to be painted by local artists Anna Clucas, Eve Adams and Debra Tracey, as part of Hospice Isle of Man’s Wallabies Gone Wild trail. I was with Arts Development Manager for the Arts Council, Jane Corkill when she saw their sponsored wallabies complete and in situ for the first time.

                         Anna Clucas

                         Eve Adams

                         Debra Tracey

We’re joined in the studio by Helen Fox, Programme Manager of the Art, Design and Media Department and students Brad, Hannah and Jess.

Join me again next Wednesday at half-past five, here on Manx Radio. Have a lovely, creative week!

You can get in touch with the programme via Spotlight@manxradio.com and listen again to the programme as a podcast on the Manx Radio website.

Martyn Cain, Arts Development Officer for the Isle of Man Arts Council joins us first today to discuss the new bursaries available to students.

Next, we step back to the Isle of Man Art Festival again to speak to Kim Graziano and Nicola Dixon at Grenaby Studios and Sue Quilliam and Sarah Hogg at Glen Mooar Cottage retreat in Sulby.

And we have Lime Rain to sing us out tonight, Harry and Alex from the band will be joining Christy De Haven and some other familiar voices at Sound Records for the next instalment of Vinyl Virtues next Tuesday evening at 5:30pm. We hear them singing their cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams.

Do join Christy next Tuesday for Vinyl Virtues where local record-lovers put some of their favourite music on the turntable for us to enjoy. You can listen back to the previous two-part series on the Manx Radio website.

That’s all we have time for now but join me again next Wednesday, have a lovely creative week!

Spotlight@manxradio.com is the email address if you’d like to get in touch about something creative you’re up to and you can listen back to just about every episode of Spotlight through our Podcast on the Manx Radio website.

First today we’re discussing the power of life drawing with Suman Kaur, winner of the BBC’s Big Painting Challenge in 2017 and Kat Harbourne of The Naked Podcast who is in a rather unusual situation.

Photograph courtesy of Suman Kaur

Director, Adrienne Sanderson and performer Jack Verity of the Rushen Players join us now to discuss their production of Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party. Although we now know this as a classic and one of Pinter’s greatest works, it didn’t have such successful beginnings, inciting ‘bewildered hysteria’ when it opened!

At the Isle of Man Art Festival, we caught up with textile artists Maureen Kennaugh at Castletown old police station and Francis Boyd who was delighted to be showing her work at Ramsey Courthouse.

I’ll be back next Wednesday at 5:30pm, have a lovely, creative week!
 

Spotlight@manxradio.com is the email address if you’d like to get in touch about something creative you’re up to and you can listen back to just about every episode of Spotlight through our Podcast on the Manx Radio website.

Dr Daisy Fancourt, leader of the BBC Arts Great British Creativity Test is here first today to explain just how creative activities can be of benefit to us. Read more about the results of the Creativity test and record your own thoughts in the Feelgood Test on the BBC website.

If you heard last week’s Sunday Soundtrack with Christy De Haven, you’ll remember that she spoke to Annie Kissack of Caairjyn Cooidjagh ahead of the group’s album launch this weekend.

We head over to Mother T’s in Laxey now where an exhibition of work by Elliot McMahon opened last Friday. I spoke to Valerie Miller and artist Ellen Scott about the art on show. More information about Elliott's artwork can be found here.

And we finish today’s programme with Francesca May’s new release ‘Fire’ which will be available to stream and download from this Friday.

Have a lovely, creative week!

Spotlight@manxradio.com is the email address if you’d like to get in touch about something creative you’re up to and you can listen back to just about every episode of Spotlight through our Podcast on the Manx Radio website.

The calendar is fit to burst with creative events this weekend and to start us off, Graham Rider, one of Grenaby Studios resident artists pops in to tell us about an exciting collaborative artwork being unveiled this Friday.

And we’re joined by Jane Hall and Rebecca Odessa who are kicking off this art fest weekend with a preview night for one and all at the Engine House in Castletown.

Now, have you ever heard of a Poetry Map? Neither had I, but UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man, Culture Vannin and the Manx Bards are in the process of creating an interactive map of the Island, which will allow us to see the place we call home through the eyes of others, and they want you to get involved!

What a week eh! I’ll be back next Wednesday at 5:30pm here on Manx Radio with updates from as many of these events as I can get to but until then, have a lovely creative week!

Spotlight@manxradio.com is the email address if you’d like to get in touch about something creative you’re up to and you can listen back to almost every episode of Spotlight at a Podcast on the Manx Radio website.

Now, Guild programmes at the ready, Judith Ley is here to discuss this year’s festival!

And now Poet, musician and founder of Without Wings the Autoimmune Arthritis Trust, Jacqueline Morrey-Grace here to tell us more about the charity’s Big Band-a-Thing this Saturday at Quids Inn!

We heard ‘Stand Out in the Crowd’ by Hanx FX, Jordi MC and the Innuendo Orchestra.

Join me again next Wednesday at 5:30pm on Manx Radio but until then, have a lovely creative week!

The email address if you’d like to good in touch is Spotlight@manxradio.com and our podcast on the Manx Radio website.

Today’s programme is a throwback to the Manx Wearable Art Show which took place a couple of weeks ago. Organised by Myra Gilbert, Sue Robinson and Doreen Dixon, the catwalk show is an opportunity for anyone and everyone to get creative and share their work with a packed-out Kensington Youth Arts Centre.

                                   Cheryl wears the dress made by the Secret Stitch Society, photograph credit: Ray Duncan   

We hear from the Youth Arts Centre’ Artist in Residence Anna Clucas, Milliner Sue McNally, Cheryl from the Secret Stitch Society, the Crossroads Charity Shop team, artist Nicola Dixon, Manu and Linda, and tutor at UCM Billee Saade.

I’ll be back next Wednesday from 5:30pm, so have a lovely creative week!

You can email me with your creative news through Spotlight@manxradio.com and catch up with previous episodes, subscribe to the podcast at manxradio.com

Today’s programme takes us to Mother T’s in Laxey where founder Valerie Miller has recently opened the doors to a new art exhibition after a varied four years in business. we also hear from the man himself, artist Graham Joughin.

Thank you to our guests Graham and Valerie and as I’m sure you can imagine, Graham and I talked for quite some time - you’ll find the extended interview on this week’s Spotlight podcast and do head along to Mother T’s to see all of the work we’ve been discussing with your own eyes! I’ll be back next Wednesday at 5:30pm with more artsy happenings from around the Island, have a lovely creative week!

Do get in touch through Spotlight@manxradio.com if you have anything creative you’d like to share, and you can listen again or subscribe to the show as a podcast at manxradio.com

Maurice Powell joins me in the studio to speak to Director of Music for the Isle of Man Choral Society, Julian Power and we hear some of Gounod’s St Cecelia Mass which the Isle of Man Choral Society will be performing this Saturday at the Villa Marina.

Now Dr Nick Allen joins us from London to talk about a new BBC festival taking place this week called #DancePassion

Join me again next Wednesday at half past five and you can download or subscribe to the show as a podcast at manxradio.com 

Have a lovely creative week!

If you’d like to get in touch with the show, email me via Spotlight@manxradio.com and you can listen again to today’s programme on demand or as a podcast at manxradio.com

Geoff Collier joins us first this evening, to take us back to the 80’s, the 1880’s!

Last Sunday saw the opening of Graham Rider’s new exhibition of paintings at the Isle Gallery in Tynwald Mills. I went along and caught Graham for a quick chat about his work.

And it might seem like a long way off but the Lorient wheels are already turning. The first act to be confirmed by the Isle of Man delegation is the Mollag Band.

There they are playing Lamuel. Watch this space for more announcements in the coming weeks as we start to get into the festival spirit!

Download a copy of this programme as a podcast on the Manx Radio website. Have a lovely creative week!

Email Spotlight@manxradio.com if there’s anything you’d like to share on the show and listen again to the programme on demand or as a podcast, subscribe to the series via Google, iTunes or Spotify.

We’re heading west first today to speak to writer and English teacher at QEII High School, Usha Kishore, whose students Esther Walters and Holly MacRae came out on top at the competition to be the first ever Manx Youth Bard. Usha was full of praise for this exciting new initiative and told us how proud she was of her students.

Beautiful poetry from such young writers so congratulations to Holly the first Manx Youth Bard and to Esther, a close runner-up.

Onto something completely different, local Hip Hop Artist Mikey Gatt joins us in the studio for an exclusive play of his new track ‘The One’.

Catchy isn’t it? I should also say that Mikey brought creative support with him in the form of Adam Elston-Lane who was joining in the conversation there, and if you want a copy of that track ‘The One’, keep April the 20th in your diary when it will be released via all the usual streaming platforms.

I’ll be back next Wednesday at half past five and don’t forget, this programme is available as a podcast which you can download on the Manx Radio website, or subscribe to via iTunes, Google or Spotify. Have a lovely creative week!

If there’s anything creative you’d like to contribute to the programme you can email Spotlight@manxradio.com and if you miss anything today, listen again or subscribe to the show as a podcast via iTunes, Google & Spotify and you’ll find the Spotlight blog on the Manx Radio website.

You may remember last week we mentioned a skillshare event at The Engine House, well we’ve been down to Castletown to find out what else goes on.

Now you may have heard on mandate that Janet Lees is celebrating a recent win, she’s here to tell us all about it.

Jamys Woolley plays us out this evening, he recently released his EP ‘Turn to Face the Strange’ which he worked on with Gyp Buggane at Ballagroove Studios, this track appeared on Sam Waters’ film ‘Mad Manx and the Soapbox Derby’ and it’s called ‘Live it Up (Tropical Trees)’.

I’ll be back next Wednesday so do join me at half past five, in the meantime, get yourself subscribed to the series via iTunes, Google or Spotify for your weekly dose of creativity, delivered straight to your library. Have a lovely, creative week!

If there’s anything creative you’d like to contribute to the programme you can email Spotlight@manxradio.com and if you miss anything today, listen again or subscribe to the show as a podcast via iTunes, Google & Spotify.

‘One for the Road’ is coming to the Peel Centenary Centre at the end of next week, courtesy of the Manx Legion Players. The play is being directed by Lindsey Quayle and stars Neil King as one of the show’s four main characters.

The Manx Operatic Society’s run of Les Miserables begins at the beginning of next month and stars many familiar performers including Alex Toohey as Jean Val Jean and David Artus as Javert, they join us along with director Jeremy Tustin - all of whom took part in the show the last time we saw it on the Gaiety Theatre Stage back in 2009. David and Alex have both taken on different roles for this version of the production and I asked them how it felt to be back in Victor Hugo’s 1860’s France.
 

Every song in this show is a hit but that there was Alfie Boe singing ‘Bring Him Home’, and if you enjoyed that, you can add two things to your list, firstly, tickets to see Les Mis at the Gaiety over the first couple of weeks in March and secondly, to get in the queue for tickets to see Alfie Boe himself at the Villa Marina later this year - tickets for which go on sale tomorrow morning at 10am.

I’ll be back next Wednesday so do join me at 5:30pm, in the meantime, get yourself subscribed to the series via iTunes, Google or Spotify for your weekly dose of creativity, delivered straight to your library. Have a lovely, creative week!

Do get in touch if you have anything creative you’d like to share or come along and talk about, you can email Spotlight@manxradio.com and if you miss anything today, listen again or subscribe to the show as a podcast via iTunes, Google & Spotify.

Our first guest this week is celebrated Russian pianist, Yulia Chaplina who you’ll have heard on Monday’s Women Today. She wowed audiences with her Russian programme at Ramsey Grammar School, by invitation of the Ramsey Music Society playing works by Prokofiev, Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky. As Maurice Powell of Thursday night’s ‘A Little Light Music’ told me confidently that she’s the best pianist the Isle of Man has seen since the second world war.

I spoke to Yulia about the importance of this year being the Year of Music between Russia and the UK and the carefully curated Russian and British Music concert programmes in 2019.

We hear Yulia playing some of Tchaikovsky’s Nocture in F Major, head along to Yulia’s website to hear more of her playing.

We finish this week's programme with none other than Monty Don, king of the British garden. He talks to us about his new series on BBC1, and tells us what gardening means to him as a creative pursuit.

You can watch Monty's new 2-part programme on Japanese Gardens on the BBC iPlayer and head to the Manx Radio website to download this week’s episode as a podcast or of course, subscribe via iTunes, Google and Spotify. I’ll be back next Wednesday at half-past-five so do join me then. Have a lovely creative week!

If you have anything creative you’d like to share or some along and talk about, email Spotlight@manxradio.com and if you miss anything today, you can listen again or subscribe to the show as a podcast via iTunes, Google & Spotify and you’ll find the Spotlight blog on the Manx Radio website.

We have a lot to look forward to in today’s show and we’re joined first by performer and Kodaly music teacher, Christa McCartney.

And we have a quick plug to make as Ramsey Music Society welcomes the superb Russian international concert pianist Yulia Chaplina to Ramsey Grammar School, West Building, on Monday February 18^th, for a recital of music by Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev. The concert starts at 7.30pm

Maurice Powell, who you’ll know from Thursday nights’ ‘A Little Light Music’ says it’s ‘Absolutely not to be missed . . . a wonderful, full-bloodedly ‘Romantic’ programme . . . a rare opportunity to hear such an artiste in the North!’.

Now, how often would you say you read stories to your children? How confident would you be with making on up as you go along? Children’s author Michael Rosen is our next guest today and he has some rather surprising statistics on this subject. You’ll most likely know him as the author of ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ and he has a few ideas on how you can make sharing stories easier and less intimidating.

And finally today, we join television presenter Anita Rani and world-renowned conductor Matthew Freeman who will be leading the 13-date arena tour of Blue Planet 2: Live in Concert. I asked Anita if she could tell us what’s in store..!

And that’s all we have time for this week, I’ll be back next Wednesday at half past five but in the meantime, download or subscribe to the show as a podcast via iTunes Google and Spotify to make sure you don’t miss out on anything!

Have a lovely creative week!

Do get in touch if there’s anything creative you want to share, the email address is Spotlight@manxradio.com and if you miss anything today, you can listen again or subscribe to the show as a podcast via iTunes, Google & Spotify and you’ll find the Spotlight blog on the Manx Radio website.

Sharon Walker, Chair of the Manx Amateur Drama Federation is our first guest today, she’s here to tell us everything we need to know about the One Act Play Festival.

Now you may have heard me speaking to Christy De Haven on the Sunday Soundtrack a couple of weekends ago, opening the Call for Artists to represent the Isle of Man at this year’s Interceltic Festival in Lorient. You have until Thursday, 28th of February to send four examples of your work to sjhendy@gmail.com .

Although the exhibition cannot feature works for sale, it’s an unrivalled opportunity to celebrate and share our unique Celtic culture with the world - it’s a privilege to be invited as a nation so it’s our time to shine & show the world what’s going on creatively on the Island. The festival lasts for ten days, with the exhibition lasting for one week (Saturday to Sunday) and the selected artist is invited to attend the whole festival though full attendance is not necessary. If you’re thinking of applying, you should be able to travel to the festival for the exhibition setup & exhibition opening but may decide to return home before the end of the festival.

Artists from each Celtic nation represented at the exhibition are asked to spend time with their display during the afternoon opening hours to meet & greet visitors (lovely interpreters will be present at all times!).

The Festival cover the Artist’s transport and accommodation, plus some meals and an entry pass to the public areas of the festival!  All of these details and more are available on the Spotlight blog, but to give you a flavour of this incredible festival, we hear from last year’s Artist, Janet Lees.

Someone whose work has been inspiring many of late, is Elaine Robinson from Barrow-In-Furness. She has been travelling the length and breadth of the United Kingdom creating a one-of-a-kind collaborative work with people from all walks of life.

And that’s all we have time for this week, I’ll be back next Wednesday for Spotlight’s 100th episode, so do join me at half past five but in the meantime, find details of all of this week’s features on the Spotlight Blog and subscribe to the podcast via iTunes Google and Spotify to make sure you stay up-to-date.

Have a lovely creative week!

Email me via Spotlight@manxradio.com if you have any creative happenings you’d like to tell us about, and you’ll find links, listen again and our podcast on the Manx Radio website.

Liz Lempen of the Lempen Puppet Theatre Company is our first guest today, her company are returning to the Island to inspire the Island’s primary school children; where we see old cardboard boxes, Liz Lempen sees a Carnival of Animals.

Kiara Masterson, winner of the Peoples’ Vote in the Sovereign Art Foundation Student Prize joins us now to tell us all about her winning piece, All Things Bright and Beautiful.

And as a final treat, Marc Tyley speaks to Michelle Jamieson at her Musical Theatre Showcase marking the end of her degree studies.

I’ll be back next Wednesday at half-past-five but in the meantime, you can subscribe to Spotlight in the form of a weekly podcast via iTunes, Google podcasts and Spotify or download them from the Manx Radio website.

Have a lovely creative week!

Now Maurice and Gavin have worked together before but this was Maurice’s first opportunity to have an in-depth conversation with this great man, who is currently Music Director of the English National Ballet and as I’m sure you can imagine, Maurice and I jumped at the chance to make this happen!

Do tune in tomorrow evening at 9 o’clock for a special instalment of ‘A Little Light Music’, dedicated solely to the life and work of Haydn Wood. You’ll be able to listen again on demand to A Little Light Music for one week, and you can hear and even download this conversation in full on the Manx Radio website.

Have a lovely creative week!