Culture on Scilly

Supported by Arts Council England, we work with talented artists, performers, makers and creators from Scilly and further afield, offering residents and visitors an opportunity to experience a wealth of cultural talent across the islands.

Our work involves developing events and projects that will become part of the Cultural Centre and Museum offer.

It all begins with an idea.

With the support of Arts Council England, we put together events programmes which will help inform what we put on in the new Isles of Scilly Cultural Centre and Museum.

Alongside our regular programme of events around the five islands, we run and support projects and commissions which enable people to experience high-quality arts and culture.

We work with partners on Scilly and beyond to deliver work which involves community participation, building new audiences, and developing skills – especially for young people on Scilly.

We also work with high-profile arts companies who want to create new work inspired by the experiences of our communities and the unique qualities of the Isles of Scilly.

 As the plans for the Town Hall take shape, this work will become integrated with the activities and programme of the new Cultural Centre and Museum.

Discover our Culture on Scilly headline achievements from 2024

With Culture on Scilly on the brink of announcing its 2025 programme of events on the islands, the team has announced the headlines of what was achieved in the last 12 months for the fledging organisation.

Here are some projects we’ve been a part of:

  • The Grand Ball

    The Grand Ball was a major community-based arts project, commissioned by the Isles of Scilly Museum and led by Artistic Director Bec Applebee.

    Funded by Arts Council England, the project took place during 2023 and focused on the story of the Grand Ball of Rosevear and the building of the Bishop Rock lighthouse.

    Project activities included school workshops in science, animation, sculpture, dance, physical theatre and music, a Barn Dance with new music and dances, performances of a specially devised Bishop Rock Lighthouse Play, and the commissioning of a beautiful story quilt by the Lyonesse Quilters.

    Find Out More

  • Lost Songs of Scilly

    We’re delighted to be supporting this new project from St Agnes-based musician and composer Piers Lewin.

    Piers and collaborator John Patrick Elliott have re-imagined a music that may never have existed, and their immersive journey has taken them deep into Scillonian culture, landscape and community.

    June 2024 will see a live national tour, culminating in an album launch event on the Isles of Scilly in July.

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  • Young Curators

    This group of young people from Five Islands Academy have been instrumental in developing plans for the new Cultural Centre and Museum. They have undertaken sessions with the architects and museum designers and have played a key role in ongoing consultation.

    In October 2023 they carried out a research trip to London which included investigating branding and wayfinding. Current activity in school is centred on a new pop-up exhibition, featuring selected artefacts on loan from the museum collection based on themes of Spiritual Life on Scilly, nature and community.

    There are plans for this to be open to the public later this year.

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  • Luna

    Luna is a new work by internationally acclaimed artist Luke Jerram.

    Commissioned by COSMOS and sited outside the Island Hall on St Martin’s, Luna is a stunning 1m diameter sculpture designed using detailed NASA imagery and topographical data of the Moon’s surface, fusing art and science.

    People can explore and touch the moon close-up, including the usually unseen dark side (far side) of the Moon.

    Find Out More