The very first annual
Biosphere Festival
29th & 30th June 2024
A weekend for local businesses, organisations and communities to celebrate our Biosphere status together, with the goal of creating lasting change.
If you aren’t sure what the Biosphere is, read more about what it and our Biosphere Principles on the homepage. The Isle of Wight was awarded UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status in 2019 in recognition of the unique combination of nature, community and place we have here, where people and the environment work together in an increasingly sustainable way.
What’s happening at the Biosphere Festival?
All sorts of things! We are planning for events of all shapes and sizes to take place across the whole island. See below for details of how you and your organisation can be part of this too.
There will be talks and practical workshops at the Quay Arts Centre in Newport, and lots of organisations are interested in running their own events too. Expect fun and interaction for all the family as well as Biosphere learning that is engaging, thought-provoking and relevant to you.
-
Sign up for the mailing list to stay updated
-
See below for more information about how to get involved
-
Save the date
-
Check back here again soon for more information as we add events and other ways to take part.
If you have suggestions or are interested in volunteering please let us know via our Contact page.
As well as a central venue where the Biosphere Festival team will run their own talks and workshops, we’d love lots of other organisations to take part by running their 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 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 this Biosphere has to offer, make new connections, support each other and celebrate this very special place.
Below is a list of ways to get involved, which we will be adding to very soon.
-
Sign up to our mailing list to be the first to get updates and information.
-
Register your interest in volunteering on our contact page. We are looking for help with organising and on the festival days themselves.
-
Download an information pack with ideas, design templates, help and useful contacts (coming soon!).
-
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.
-
Register your Biosphere event here (coming soon!).
-
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.
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!
-
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 on our homepage.
-
Don’t worry about getting it “wrong”! This is all about drawing on our existing knowledge and learning.
-
Are you running an event outside of that day? Feel free to take the ideas above to make it Biosphere themed too, even if it isn’t on this weekend!
The organisers of this event are all volunteers and currently we don’t have lots of funding (although we are seeking more), so please bear with us if we are slow to reply or limited in our means! All offers of contributions in kind or otherwise very welcome.