The Isle of Man Arts Council is delighted to announce the appointment of two new members, Fiona Edwards and Peter Shimmin.

Fiona Edwards currently plays the cornet with the Crosby Silver Band and is a long-time maker of embroidery, crochet, knitting and jewellery, actively taking part in local craft markets.  Currently working in financial services, Fiona will bring her passion for grass roots arts development and participation to the Council.

Peter Shimmin holds a BA (Hons) degree in Acting and worked professionally until returning home to the Island in 2020.  Upon his return, Peter took the role of Creative Development Co-Ordinator at Kensington Arts and is a well-known member of the Manx amateur theatre community both on stage and off, taking lead roles and directing in many successful shows, most recently in “Jersey Boys”.

Fiona and Peter’s appointments are made due to the retirement of Council members Jeremy Theobald, who served 4 years on the Council, and former Vice Chair, Jade Boylan, who served 5 years on the Council before moving to a role in the Arts Development Team as Arts Engagement Officer, supporting the Council.

Chair of the Isle of Man Arts Council, Mrs Sarah Maltby MHK commented, “We are pleased to welcome Fiona and Peter to the Isle of Man Arts Council. With the breadth of their talents and experience and their passions for the arts, they will bring valuable perspectives and added depth to an already experienced Council. We are thrilled to have them on board and look forward to their valuable contributions in promoting and supporting the arts on the Isle of Man.

I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Jeremy Theobald and Jade Boylan for their dedicated service as members of the Isle of Man Arts Council. Their contributions have been invaluable and have helped shape the arts landscape on the Isle of Man. We wish them both the very best in their future endeavours."

The Isle of Man Arts Council

The Isle of Man Arts Council was set up over 50 years ago to support the work of local amateurs and professionals as well as visiting artists. It funds many organisations and offers advice and information to hundreds of people every year, encouraging and enabling participation and development in all aspects of the arts. Membership of the Arts Council is voluntary. Members give their time freely to serve the people of the Isle of Man by developing and improving the knowledge, understanding, practice and access to the arts in all its forms. The Arts Council is a sponsored body of the Department of the Education, Sport and Culture.

Current members

The current chair of the IOM Arts Council is Mrs Sarah Maltby MHK.

Current Council members are: Sharon Walker, Ben Heath, Steven Daykin, David Kilgallon, Jo Davies, Joff Whitten, Fiona Edwards and Peter Shimmin.

See all council member bios here: https://www.iomarts.com/who-we-are/members

National Joint Strategy for Culture and the Arts

The IOM Arts Council and Culture Vannin have a shared vision to promote and develop arts and culture on the Isle of Man. Whilst we work together to do this through our Joint National Strategy, we do so in very different and wholly distinct ways.

Read more about our initiatives here: https://www.iomarts.com/national-strategy