End of Season concert May 10th 2025

The End of Season concert in May was given by six recipients of West Wight Arts Association’s winners of the 2024 Bursary.

George Sales  Composer and Singer and Marching Drum player

Throughout the process of the audition, everyone was welcoming and friendly to George and to us as a family.  

George was awarded some bursary money following his audition, which he used towards musical equipment (an apple iMac computer system to allow him to create music compositions easier) and he also put some money towards travel for his upcoming mainland theatre show at the Mayflower in Southampton. 

We recommend this bursary scheme to other students now and George will be forever grateful for the opportunities it has given him to help develop his career in music/theatre/arts.  

George is currently now in his last year at the Island Free School (year 11) and as a result of the financial support from his bursary, he was able to get a lot more GCSE work completed and more efficiently. 

Katherine Howard clarinet  from Katherine’s father

I'm delighted that you've been nominated because you do important work. As we're both aware, with the exception of specialist schools, musical education for adolescents has collapsed; even if we were too utilitarian to worry about loss of cultural creativity, we should still be concerned because we know music positively affects broader learning. My impression is that this isn't a transient covid-pandemic problem that will pass with time - many extracurricular opportunities (e.g. Saturday morning music centre) have stopped altogether; and without training this current generation, there will be insufficient musicians to teach the next generation. 

• Katherine put her bursary towards buying a better clarinet mouthpiece; this enabled her to move up to a better clarinet to replace her original instrument  

• This enabled her playing to continue to develop:

• She has just returned from playing in London at the New Years Day Parade with the Medina marching band 

• She commutes to sixth form in Winchester so that she could join their school orchestra (she went to secondary school in Cowes, where we live, but there are no opportunities to play with other musicians there)

• Musical opportunities have been a key factor in her choice of university (though she's planning to read maths)

• In addition to helping her get a better clarinet, the bursary, and interaction with the WWAA also:

• Gave her valuable experiences of playing live in front of audiences

• Was a very supportive and formative experience - on the day of the first performance/audition, her brand new wooden clarinet split; a very kind repairer in London gave first aid advice with blue tack. We arrived in a bit of a fluster, but the WWAA members present are proficient musicians with experience of live performing- between them, they were able to ground her and put her at her ease, and it went well. When she returned approximately a year later for the WWAA concert, she was noticeably far less nervous

• So, in summary, at a time when musical education for children and adolescents in the state school system has collapsed, the WWAA is providing the island's children and adolescents an essential lifeline, assisting not only financially but also experientially which is help them to get a foot on a ladder of musical development

Rufus Reader  Drum

I'm very grateful for the generosity shown to me by the West Wight Arts Association when I received their bursary award in 2024! The WWAA bursary really aided in expanding my live performance opportunities, as I was able to buy drum kit hardware which I really needed at the time. Since then, I've joined the jazz course at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and regularly use my equipment for gigs, as well as using it for my activity with the Midlands Youth Jazz Orchestra, where I currently hold the drum seat. This is just one example of how work the WWAA does really goes a long way, both for the Isle of Wight and beyond! - Rufus Reader

Alfie Gubbins Saxophone

Alfie is incredibly grateful to the West Wight Arts Association for the generous bursary, which contributed toward the purchase of his new baritone saxophone. 

The application and audition process was both professional and straightforward, and the committee ensured Alfie felt at ease throughout. 

He currently performs with the Island Concert Band and several school ensembles, and he looks forward to continuing his musical journey with the instrument at university next year.

Zzahra Gouairat  saxophone

"I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to perform before the panel for the West Wight Arts Association.  They were very receptive and complimentary about my playing which gave me a lot of confidence.    I am extremely grateful for the bursary I was awarded.   I put this towards a new Alto Saxophone.  I am still passionate about my saxophone playing, playing regularly here on the Island and at School and also as part of the Trinity Laban Junior Conservatoire in London, where I play first also in both their Wind Orchestra and Big Band.   Thank you again for your support".  Zzahra Gouairat

Jazz Murrant Oboe

I really enjoyed the wonderful experience of playing for the West Wight Arts Association, and the opportunities it gave me. The money I was awarded I put towards lessons and my instrument upkeep. The bursary also allowed me to meet Claire, who became my teacher after. If it wasn’t for the help from the association, I would not be where I am now, playing for the Isle of Wight Symphony Orchestra.

Summer Plumley Voice and Guitar

I am very grateful to West Wight Arts for my bursary, I have used the money towards extra guitar lessons and singing lessons. I really enjoy both and have progressed through my exams since receiving the bursary. Everyone at the audition was kind and helpful, making the process less nerve wracking for me. 
Thank you to West Wight Arts as the bursary has made such a difference to my music