Programmes
Sea for Yourself
Plymouth’s heritage and connection to the ocean is at the heart of an inspiring new cultural and artistic programme through which we are inviting Plymouth residents to reconnect with the sea.
Creating opportunities for artists and audiences, sparking curiosity, and celebrating Plymouth Sound National Marine Park, Sea for Yourself is a once-in-a-generation initiative that will blend creativity, technology and community engagement to create meaningful experiences that highlight our connection to the natural world.
The first commission will be delivered in 2025 and work is already underway to identify the lead artist(s).
The focus of this first commission is to showcase Pymouth Sound National Marine Park’s (PSNMP) rich heritage and assets, taking a creative approach to the theme of making visible what is invisible or inaccessible under the Sound, and bringing the sea into the city.
We are seeking an artist(s) to develop an ambitious and engaging digital work that responds to the context of PSNMP, inspiring audiences and reflecting on our relationship with the ocean, using screen-based infrastructure across the city to reach a wide audience.
The first commission will be conducted through a nomination process - we are inviting 30 nominators, drawn from across the UK and mixed artforms, to nominate an artist they feel meets the requirements of the artist’s brief.
The first commission
In order to ensure we have robust processes in place to invite and commission high-quality, ambitious artistic proposals, we have also created a Commissioning Advisory Group. Drawn from across the UK, this group of experts has been selected based on a number of core competencies that are central to the programme including:
• Experience of artistic commissioning processes especially in public realm & digital work
• Experience of creating or producing artistic work in digital media
• An insight into relevant social / geographical context for the programme
• Understanding of the values of PSNMP especially environment and inclusion
• Insight into community engagement & citizenship/behaviour change
• Insight into relevant wider networks and potential partnerships
Members of the commissioning advisory group include:
Marc Barto (Senior Producer, V&A)
Nicola Bridge (Head of Ocean Advocacy and Engagement at the Ocean Conservation Trust)
Yaz Brien (Facilitator/consultant supporting community based environment initiatives)
Dr Cara Courage (Culture, Communities & Place Consultant)
Carolyn Hassan (former Director Knowle West Media Centre and evaluator for European Network of Living Labs)
Maitreyi Maheshwari (Head of Programme at Foundation for Art and Creative Technology)
Ju Row Farr (artist and founding member of Blast Theory)
Zoe Sydenham (Community Empowerment lead at Plymouth City Council)
Emma Wilcox (Consultant in purposeful placemaking and former Director Creative Estuary)
This group will remain under review for the programme’s entirety, with new and additional members invited to join where specific expertise is required.
The commissioning advisory group will input to the development of artist briefs and a subset of the group will form a selection panel for each commission.
With the help of the commissioning advisory group a shortlist of up to 6 artists will be invited to submit a full proposal in response to the brief. These submissions will be reviewed by the advisory group and a lead artist selected for the commission. We anticipate announcing the selected artist in mid-May 2025.
This programme is being led by Plymouth Culture in partnership with Plymouth City Council and Plymouth Sound National Marine Park. Sea for Yourself is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England Place Partnership Fund.
