Preparations are nearly complete for Ascend – thought to be the first-ever youth-led arts festival on the Isle of Wight – which will take place at the Broadway Centre, Sandown next week. A teenage Battle of the Bands will take place on the evening of Friday 12th July, with a youth and family-focused day of activities on Saturday 13th. The event has been planned and will be run by young people from Community Action Isle of Wight’s Bay Youth Project, who feel there is a lack of affordable things to do for young people in the Bay area, and want to make a difference. Tamsin, aged 15, one of the event organisers, hopes young people – particularly those who live in Sandown, Shanklin and Lake – support the event:
“It is an opportunity you don’t get every day – when have you ever heard of a festival run by young people, for young people? I think it is probably the only one.”
Next Friday (12th July), between 19:00-21:30, festival-goers will be able to enjoy free entry to a battle between some of the Island’s top teenage bands, with the winners receiving a recording session at Aspire and the opportunity to gig at AAA Records. On Saturday, there will be whole range of free youth and family-friendly activities, including Samba drumming with YES! Creative Beats and young people from the Bay CE Secondary School, circus skills with Wyld Woods, singer-songwriters from the Bay CE Secondary School, arts and crafts led by young people, teen-made films and a silent disco. A full timetable of activities will be available at Ascend.youthartsfestival soon. All activities will be free as accessibility was one of the priorities of the young people when planning the event.
