In April Brave Island started a new fund, Young Creative of the Month, where each month we award £100 to a young creative from the Isle of Wight and share an interview with them on our blog. We had an amazing selection of creatives, and can’t wait to see who we meet in 2024! We thought it would be great to hear from each of the young creatives again to round off 2023.

Suzy Barnard

Suzy was our very first Young Creative of 2023, you can read the original interview here. At that time, Suzy was finishing up her studies at the Isle of Wight College. Here’s what she had to say when we reached out for an update:

“A lot has changed since my interview. I graduated from my Graphic Design course and I am now a full time illustration student at the University of Portsmouth. Over the summer I started building websites for other artists which has become a successful little side project. I designed the Cowes Open Studios website this year, and also partook in it, selling paintings, crochet flowers and my stationery products. I’m looking forward to seeing what 2024 has in store and cannot wait to keep creating! “

You can find Suzy on:

Instagram – @susieanna.designs 

Website – www.susieannadesigns.weebly.com

Iris Little

Iris is a textiles artist and was chosen to be Brave Island’s Young creative of the month for May. She has an exciting update to share with us:

“I’m very happy to say since my interview with Brave Island in May I am now studying a degree in Sustainable Fashion! This was one of my goals which I wrote in my interview. It is the new degree with Platform 1 in the old Topshop/Wadhams building. I’ve finished my first semester and I’m enjoying everything we are doing so far, I can’t wait to see what the next few years hold! I’m still crocheting as a hobby and keeping myself busy with various craft projects.”

You can find Iris on:

Facebook – Iris Little Makes 

Instagram – @irislittlemakes

Rachel Attwood

Rachel is a filmmaker who won Young Creative of the Month back in June and has been very busy ever since! Here’s what she had to say:

“We swapped the release of ‘Strange Boy’ for my film ‘How to Write a Novel Tripping Absolute Balls’. It’s the first ever Live Action Stop Motion in Feature Length we’ve discovered since, so this is an achievement I’ll cherish my whole career. We begin touring again January 12th 2024 and venues are to be released on my Instagram.

During 2024 we also release ‘Strange Boy’ and ‘The Interview’, films about an intense divorce and the complexities of a marriage, and an old Hollywood actress and a lighthearted yet dark reflection of fame… The films I have starred in will be the hardest part. I dread watching the trailers. Every time I see one I think ‘what are you doing, what are you wearing?!'”

You can find Rachel on:

Instagram – @spoookyhippy

Ollie Luter

Ollie was our Young Creative of the Month in August. They’re a performance artist currently studying sculpture at Camberwell College of Arts, focusing on subjects that include embarrassment, self identity, limit, queerness, and lgbtq+ matters. Since then Ollie has been continuing their studies at Camberwell with more of a focus on their performance art.

You can find Ollie on:

Instagram – @olartt._

YouTube – ODLARTPERFORMANCE

Jasmine Metta Truman

Jasmine is a photographer and our Young Creative of the month for September. She is currently in her final year of BA Photography at University. Since September she has now published The ‘Earth Spirit Magazine‘ which showcases a range of artists each contributing pieces ‘creatively exploring our ancient connection with nature’.

You can find Jasmine on:

Instagram – @jasminemettatruman

Earth Spirit Instagram – @earthspiritmag

Website – www.jasminemettatruman.myportfolio.com

Poppy Morris

Poppy was October’s Young Creative of the month. She told us she’s now in her second year at Falmouth university working hard towards a degree in BA Illustration. She is a multidisciplinary artist having worked with not only painting and drawing but also printmaking and a little bit of wood carving.

You can find Poppy on:

Instagram – @poppymorrisillustration

Nathan Box

Nathan is a self-taught visual effects artist and you can read the original interview here. Here’s the update they sent us:

“The interview has gone in my CV and UCAS statement and has helped me a lot! Since the interview, I’ve applied for visual effects and CGI courses and already got 4 offers back! In the next year, I’m going to be putting extra effort into my exams so I can secure my place at university. It’s an important step to getting into the visual effects industry as employers recruit straight from universities.”

You can find Nathan on:

Instagram – @nateultravfx

Youtube – @nateultravfx

Artstation – @nateultravfx

Kit Kanthan

Kit was December’s Young Creative of the month, you can read the original interview here. Kit is an author currently working on their debut novel “Of Thunder and Flames” (OTaF). Here’s the update they sent:

“It hasn’t been very long since I was selected so not all that much has happened, only edging closer and closer to the completion of OTaF. In 2024 I am planning to seek out traditional publishing, as well as preparing for my first-ever book signing and holding a literature convention. By the end of 2024, I should also have the second book in the Akulis duology either published or ready for editing. I can’t wait to share my work and potentially meet some of you at any of my events.”

You can find Kit on:

Website – kitkanthan.com

Instagram – @kitkanthan

Twitter – @kitkanthan