Sitting opposite me is the impeccably dressed fount of artistic knowledge Martyn Cain.

He’s the Isle of Man Arts Council’s arts development officer, which recently joined Gef as the creativity category partner in its 2024 30 Under 30.

It’s the first time the Arts Council is involved in the campaign, but it’s not Martyn’s first rodeo.

‘I've been a judge for all of them so far. So, it's been really interesting from my point of view, and for the Council to see how quickly it's grown and how well it's going.’ 

I asked Martyn what made the Arts Council want to get involved. He told me they use Gef’s 30 Under 30 as an example for other people who might want to create community award-type events. But it’s not just about the trophies. (Even though Gef’s 30 Under 30 has lovely trophies).

‘It's not just the trophy that you get at the end of the day. This year’s campaign has been great because there are a lot more opportunities for the 30 winners to meet up and discuss things.

‘But even after last year's event, we saw some of the 30 were actually offered jobs and mentorships off the back of being in Gef’s 30 Under 30. So, it's something that's really having a positive impact on the community.

‘And it's something the Arts Council are all about, and anytime they can support anything that's creative or culturally relevant, they're very keen.’

Catharine Devine, Mera Royle, and Amy Price were the champions of the creativity category at this year’s winner’s party.

‘I loved how big the creativity category was when we did the judging, and how many people from the other categories we could have put in the creativity category too.

‘But what was great about the winners is the different areas they come from.

‘So, you have Amy from the makers, arts and crafts section. Mera is a musician, who has one foot in the folk scene, and another foot where she’s really establishing herself in film scoring. And then you've got Catharine as a photographer, who was working with Chanel this year. So, it's such a diverse collection of people.’

Next year is a big one for the Arts Council. It’s turning 60 (but doesn’t look a day over 40) and there are a lot of things in the pipeline to celebrate.

They’ve secured big names like the absolutely fabulous Joanna Lumley who recently came over, but that’s just the tip of the creative iceberg.

On a homegrown level, the organisation is celebrating in a way that aims to help the creatively ambitious souls among you flourish. It’s introducing a new ‘Extraordinary Events’ fund to encourage people to put on different types of events.

‘If there's something you've always wanted to do that you've thought maybe it's a bit too much money or too much of a commitment, this is what this fund is here for’ Martyn tells me enthusiastically.

‘It’d be great to see events the island's never seen before. So, for example, it'd be awesome to see someone put on a light festival or see some more immersive outdoor film screenings in different places around the island.

‘Hopefully this will help open up the arts to communities that don't normally get that sort of accessibility.’

‘The arts have long been battling an elitist reputation. An idea that you have to wear a monocle and enjoy opera to fall under the category of “art enthusiast”.

‘This is a myth the Isle of Man Arts Council has been working hard to debunk.

‘The arts are everything.

‘It's when you're watching whatever streaming service you use, or it's the holiday book you picked up in the departure lounge.

‘It's all those things. It’s for everyone.

‘We've tried doing a lot of work on getting people taking part in the arts but have also focussed on audiences as well.

‘We’ve been trying to make things like galleries, which can be intimidating to go into, a lot more accessible and we’ve funded more public art and murals that you see pop up around the island.

‘We’re trying to introduce people to art on their terms and on their grounds, so that if there is something that comes about, they don't feel like it's not for them.’