
New Carnival is raising funds to create Folktastic Isle — a beautifully illustrated children’s anthology celebrating the myths, legends and folktales of the Isle of Wight. 📚✨
Over the last few years, we have collected around 30 traditional and modern Island stories as part of our Folktastic Isle project. The response has been incredible, with many local people telling us they had never heard these stories before, despite living on the Island their whole lives.
We want to preserve these tales and introduce them to a new generation through a child-friendly book featuring:
🎨 Illustrations created by local young people
🗺️ The Folktastic Isle map developed through the Can You Hear Us / Past Futures project (subject to funding)
🎵 Brand new songs inspired by the stories, written by local school children with support from the Isle of Wight Music Hub
📖 Stories about Island creatures, people and places
Featured stories include The Witch that Turned into a Hare, The Wizards of Wiht and Yar, The Gooseberry Wife, The Blackgang Giant, The Lost Village of Wolverton and The Legend of Puckaster Cove.
Your donation will help cover the cost of editing, designing and preparing the book for print.
2026 is the National Year of Reading, and the National Literacy Trust has kindly offered to part-fund printing costs so we can provide a copy of the finished book to every school and library on the Isle of Wight.
This project has already connected children, schools, artists and communities through storytelling, music and creativity. Creating this book would be a lasting legacy for the project and help ensure these unique Island stories continue to inspire future generations!
Sat 04 Jul 2026
Our annual Mardi Gras Parade, featuring over 20 local schools and community groups, each representing a different story, myth or legend from the Isle of Wight. The parade takes place on Saturday 4th July in Ryde.

Southern England | Arts, Culture & Heritage
Southern England | Arts, Culture & Heritage
Not for profit Community Interest Company Using carnival arts to engage communities and boost creativity through spectacular free community events, & workshops.
£20
pays for 1 hour of working on the project
£45
pays for three copies of the finished book for local schools and libraries.
£200
pays for one day editing and developing the book
Not for profit Community Interest Company Using carnival arts to engage communities and boost creativity through spectacular free community events, & workshops.
£20
pays for 1 hour of working on the project
£45
pays for three copies of the finished book for local schools and libraries.
£200
pays for one day editing and developing the book
New Carnival is raising funds to create Folktastic Isle — a beautifully illustrated children’s anthology celebrating the myths, legends and folktales of the Isle of Wight. 📚✨
Over the last few years, we have collected around 30 traditional and modern Island stories as part of our Folktastic Isle project. The response has been incredible, with many local people telling us they had never heard these stories before, despite living on the Island their whole lives.
We want to preserve these tales and introduce them to a new generation through a child-friendly book featuring:
🎨 Illustrations created by local young people
🗺️ The Folktastic Isle map developed through the Can You Hear Us / Past Futures project (subject to funding)
🎵 Brand new songs inspired by the stories, written by local school children with support from the Isle of Wight Music Hub
📖 Stories about Island creatures, people and places
Featured stories include The Witch that Turned into a Hare, The Wizards of Wiht and Yar, The Gooseberry Wife, The Blackgang Giant, The Lost Village of Wolverton and The Legend of Puckaster Cove.
Your donation will help cover the cost of editing, designing and preparing the book for print.
2026 is the National Year of Reading, and the National Literacy Trust has kindly offered to part-fund printing costs so we can provide a copy of the finished book to every school and library on the Isle of Wight.
This project has already connected children, schools, artists and communities through storytelling, music and creativity. Creating this book would be a lasting legacy for the project and help ensure these unique Island stories continue to inspire future generations!