Isle of Man looks to draw in the hipster crowd
Crown Dependency uses art to create a ‘Shoreditchon-sea’ vibe as it seeks to attract young professionals
‘People have thought of us as a cosy, slippersand-pipe destination, and that needs to change’
THE Isle of Man is known by most as the location for TT racing, but officials are now seeking to use art to make the island a “cool” destination for hipster professionals.
The 30-mile-long Crown Dependency is hoping to create a “Shoreditch vibe” in the Irish Sea by commissioning murals and other artworks more often seen in the modish quarter of London.
The Isle of Man Arts Council (IMAC) has already invested 35 per cent of its budget this year on public works to create a culture of 21st century “cool”, as the Manx government seeks to tempt a tech-savvy young workforce to the island. “It’s about showing what the Isle of Man is like, that it’s a cool place to be,” Martyn Cain, of the IMAC, told The Sunday Telegraph.
IMAC colleague and artist Olivia Savage explained: “It’s making it vibrant, fun and appealing. It’s a Shoreditch style, it’s about finding a very Camden or Shoreditch vibe.
“It’s about making it more attractive to younger people. There is a big push to keep younger people here, showing them that they don’t need to leave to pursue a career.”
Since 2019 the IMAC has spent £229,800 on visual arts, and the proportion of its total annual arts budget that has been invested in public projects like murals has risen from 18 per cent of the budget in 2020-21 to 35 per cent so far this financial year.
The work follows the establishment in 2019 of Locate Isle of Man, a body tasked by the government with increasing the economically active population of the island which is home to just 85,000 people, 21 per cent of whom are over 65.
The focus of this work has been on targeting younger people with skills in growing digital industries like online gaming. Local officials have identified this demographic, whether born on the Isle of Man or “off island”, as having different lifestyle priorities compared to previous generations.
Beth Cannan, a commissioner (town councillor) in Castletown, said: “It’s time for Isle of Man hipsters.
“People have thought of us as a cosy, slippers-and-pipe destination, and that needs to change. People want different things now. And things are changing.”
As part of a “shift” in planning, Castletown, the former capital of the island, now boasts murals on its police station and bold street art overlooking the town’s vegan-friendly pizzeria.
Walls in Douglas and Port St Mary have been daubed with brightly coloured murals, shelters on the promenade in Ramsey have been newly decorated, and the town’s public toilets have been earmarked for an artistic makeover as part of a raft of commissions on the island.
Planning rules stipulate that design must be in keeping with the local area, with murals containing nods to TT racing and fishing, and officials have said while the arts scene is about reframing the island’s image, it must also show off what is unique about Man.
Mr Cain said: “We have people going off island, perhaps thinking there is nothing for them here, but industries are changing, digital skills are becoming very important here.
“I think everyone in government is really looking at attracting people to come, and making it attractive to retain people. The Isle of Man has always been the sort of downplayed island, with maybe Guernsey and Jersey being a bit more vocal about advertising what they were about.
“We’ve been a bit more underrated here, which is a very Manx thing, but I think we need to be doing more of that, and telling people about what’s on offer here.”