JERSEY is enjoying an extraordinary flowering of creative talent.
In every branch of arts and entertainment, as well as in design, heritage, media, horticulture, gastronomy and many more cultural activities, scores of Islanders at home and away are now producing work of the highest quality on which careers, and in time whole industries, can be built.
Just as importantly, the arts are what feed the soul and lift the spirits. In the context of this Island Identity project, they are also the means by which Jersey’s indefinable magic may best be reflected, redefined and reinforced.
There is clear evidence that more decision-makersare now recognising the many benefits of a thriving cultural life, from economic renewal to the elusive but vital quest for a common sense of identity.
The Jersey Festival of Words has offered a new showcase for the Island’swealth of home-grown writing talent in fact, fiction, poetry and folklore. And as with painters, sculptors, photographers, musicians, film-makers, architects and the rest, their inspiration often comes from Jersey’s unique blend of environment, history and community.
Where might this talent take us when allied to the growing acceptance that Jersey’s story should be told more skilfully and authentically… to ourselves, to new generations and to the rest of the world?
Just for starters, a future in which Jersey is at least as renowned internationally for its cultural energy and appeal as for its finance industry might include:
•More festivals, an obvious ambition and the potential scope is enormous.
•A new national art gallery, at last.
•A low-rental creative quarter where artists and innovators of all kinds can work and interact.
•A distinctive Jersey style for street furniture and the public realm in general, created by local designers, along with similarly updated heritage information plaques.
•An education system in which Islanders of all ages, both established and newcomers, can routinely learn about all the too often neglected facts and features that make this lucky place so special.
Modern Jersey has tremendous creative and cultural capital. The time has come to put it to work on a wider stage.
