After, what they describe as a ‘successful’ and ‘influential’ Gef 30 Under 30 campaign last year, the Isle of Man Arts Council is back for more with arts development officer Martyn Cain taking up his place on the judging panel once again.

‘I’ve been a judge since day one, which is great fun. And it’s been brilliant to watch it progress over the last few years and see the different sorts of applications we get in,’ Martyn tells me.

‘So, for the three Creativity winners this year, it’s been good to see the varied backgrounds they have, and how different they are from last year’s winners.’

The Isle of Man Arts Council is, naturally, partnering with the Gef 30 Under 30 Creativity category, which was won this year by tattoo artist and musician Lily Wolter, video producer Ella Cowin and DJ Ammon Yeardsley.

‘It’s interesting to see where people are at this point in their lives,’ Martyn says.

‘Because there’s a big age range. So, we get 18 year olds all the way up to 29 year olds, but it’s interesting to see where they’re at in those different points of life.

‘In a selfish way, when I’m judging I’m almost comparing to where I was at that point. And I think all the judges have sat around the table and gone, “wow, I wasn’t doing that. This is really impressive.”’

But it’s not just about young people’s achievements that Gef 30 Under 30 homes in on. It’s about their motivation.

‘I find it inspirational to see the drive people have at that age, and how they’re using that’, Martyn tells me.

‘Because I think you can have a lot of enthusiasm when you’re in your 20s, but if you haven’t got a direction to put that enthusiasm into, it can get lost. So, it’s great to see all 30 of these guys really going forward with what they want to do. I’m excited to see where they go from here.’

I asked Martyn why he thinks Gef 30 Under 30 is important for young people who are already so driven and motivated.

‘Because it pushes them to go even further.’ He tells me.

‘It can be very difficult to have your voice heard. And so having this sort of campaign that gives young people a platform really helps, as we’ve seen in previous years, people from one of the 30 winners have gone on to get jobs off the back of that fact. So, it can really drive them personally and professionally. So, I think it’s a really important to have this sort of campaign.’

Away from Gef 30 Under 30, the Isle of Man Arts Council has big plans of its own this year as it celebrates its 60th anniversary.

To highlight the milestone, it’s putting on a diverse range of special events throughout the year covering a huge spectrum of creativity. So, while you’re keeping an eye out for Gef 30 Under 30 summer networking soirees, keep them peeled for special Arts Council events too.