When: Thursday 25 September 2025Where: Portsmouth Guildhall | FREE ferry travel for IWCN members
We’re heading to Portsmouth for We Connect 2025, a one-day conference exploring Inclusion in the Arts – and IWCN members are invited to join us for this exciting away day opportunity, with free ferry travel courtesy of Wightlink.
We have 15 spaces available. To register interest, email georgia@creativeisland.org and we’ll send you the booking link to secure your place via Eventbrite (where you’ll select your preferred sessions). First come, first served!
What is 'We Connect?'
'We Connect' is Portsmouth’s annual creative and cultural sector conference, curated by Portsmouth Creates. The 2025 edition is titled ‘Inclusion in the Arts’, delivered in partnership with This New Ground, and brings together inclusive arts practitioners, artists, organisations and producers from Portsmouth and across the UK.
Expect a day of:
- Panel Talks: Hear lived experience and best practice on inclusive leadership, governance, and access
- Creative Workshops: Hands-on sessions led by artists with learning disabilities
- Skills Sharing: Practical tools around income diversification, international working, and inclusive programming
It’s a chance to connect with other creatives, explore new ways of working, and reflect on how we can make the creative sector more inclusive and accessible.
Speakers Include:
- Tom Ryalls (Panel Host, Founder of BAP!)
- Clarke Reynolds (Mr Dots, Visual Artist)
- Daisy Hale (The Hale)
- Tilly and Jonny (Head Over Wheels)
- Tim Wheeler (All In)
- Nathalie Russell-Clarke & Lucy Groenewoud (This New Ground)
- Lizzie Banks (Oska Bright Film Festival)
Agenda:
- 10:00 – Arrivals & Refreshments
- 10:30 – Welcome
- 11:00 – Session 1 (choose Panel, Workshop, or Skills)
- 11:45 – Comfort Break
- 12:15 – Session 2
- 13:00 – Lunch
- 14:00 – Session 3
- 15:00 – Closing
- 15:30 – Networking
- 17:00 – Close
Sessions are flexible and fully accessible – choose what suits your pace and interest. Quiet spaces and access support are available throughout.
Travel details (FREE for IWCN members)
We’ll be travelling as a group to and from the Island:
- Outbound: Meet at Ryde Pier Head for the 9:45am Wightlink FastCat to Portsmouth HarbourFrom there, we’ll walk to Portsmouth Guildhall (10–15 mins)
- Return: Departing Portsmouth Harbour at 4:15pmArriving back at Ryde Pier Head by approx. 4:35pm
This day is ideal for IWCN members who are:
- Artists, producers, creatives, students, or cultural leaders
- Interested in inclusive practice, disability-led work, or community arts
- Looking to connect with creatives on the mainland and develop inclusive programming
Access is at the heart of this event – creatives with disabilities, neurodivergence, and lived experience of marginalisation are warmly encouraged to attend.
How to book:
- Email Georgia at georgia@creativeisland.org to register interest
- Once confirmed, you’ll receive a link to book your sessions via Eventbrite(Spaces are limited and will be filled on a first-come basis)
Thanks to Wightlink for supporting this creative opportunity and making cross-Solent connection possible.
