BIOSPHERE FESTIVAL
29 & 30 June 2024
What is the
Biosphere Festival?
A weekend for local businesses, organisations and communities to celebrate our Biosphere status together, with events for everyone, all over the island! 2024 is the very first Biosphere Festival.
Read on to find out what’s happening, how to run your own festival events and other ways to get involved.
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Update: first events confirmed! See below for details.
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Update! 20% discount for the Festival weekend on Wightlink ferries!
Why not bring your friends and family over to join the celebrations?
What's happening at the Biosphere Festival?
All sorts of things in all sorts of places! As well as two days of talks and workshops at our hub in the Quay Arts Centre, there are events taking place island-wide.
See our programme page or check the full listings at events.onthewight.com
Confirmed events include:
Creative activities for children at six local libraries
An Arty Walk along Ventnor Coastal path
Sustainable fashion with Holly Maslen
A creative drop in day and consultation at Independent Arts
Treating plants kindly with IOW Youth Trust
Identifying moths at Carisbrooke Priory
Clay community art workshop as part of the FOCAS festival
A wellbeing walk at Newtown with the National Trust
A great oaks tree walk at Northwood Park
A launch event for The Figlet at Medina Bookshop
A creative biosphere market at the Green Barn
A rewildling open day with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
An open day at the Permaculture Island food forest
Sign up for the mailing list for the latest news.
If you have suggestions or are interested in volunteering please let us know via our Contact page.
Proud to be partnering with the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary and their FOCAS festival on the same dates. FOCAS stands for “Focus on Conservation and Science” and aims to make science and conservation more accessible to all children, bringing both to life in a fun and imaginative way. On Saturday 29th & Sunday 30th June 2024 they will be giving exclusive access to the Sanctuary for just £2.50 per person! Find out more on their website.
Ways to get involved: run a Biosphere Festival event
There is still time for you to get involved by running yourr own events, big or small, under the Biosphere Festival banner:
It could be something you already have planned that you can adapt to be Biosphere related, or something entirely new.
It could be as small as a themed window display or promoting sustainable local products, to running your own storytelling event, wildlife face-painting, nature walk or talk, beach clean or fundraising evening of themed music or something entirely different. Whatever fits with your organisational interests and activities and with some or all of the nine Biosphere principles.
We will support and promote your events as part of the wider festival, we can help find venues for those who don't have one, volunteers to assist, or advice on event logistics. See below for more details.
Let's show the full range of what our Island Biosphere has to offer, make new connections, support each other and celebrate this very special place.
Thinking of running an event? Here is what to do next:
Sign up to our mailing list to be the first to get updates and information.
Download an information pack with guidance and ideas.
Book on one of our Biosphere Briefing events where you can find out more and ask questions. Register for the 6th March at 4pm, the 6th March at 7pm or the 14th March at 11am. (These briefings have passed but contact us if you are interested in attending a future one).
Get in touch to ask questions or let us know what you are planning.
Put together your event listing and send it to us, by the end of April if possible. Details in the guidance document.
Tips for Biosphere events
Find something that fits with what you already do, it can be as big or as small as you can manage.
This is our first year, and it is a pilot. That means whatever happens, we will all learn from this to do something better and better each year. Find ways to gather feedback you can share with us afterwards.
Talk to others in your community about what they have planned, don't clash, join forces! Check in with us to find out what others are doing.
Use our templates for designs (in info pack coming soon). You can use these as is or modify them for your own event.
Have a look at the nine Biosphere Principles for inspiration.
Don't worry about getting it "wrong"! This is all about drawing on our existing knowledge and learning.
Enjoy being part of something big that together we can grow into something even bigger!
Other ways to get involved
Register your interest in volunteering on our contact page. We are looking for help with organising and on the festival days themselves.
Interested in supporting the event financially? Get in touch to find out about sponsorship opportunities.
Are you a school? There are still ways to get involved during the week before, coming soon. Get in touch if you have some ideas via our contact page.
Sign up to the mailing list to hear about other opportunities.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook. Share using #iwbiosphere and #iwbiospherefestival.
