Plymouth to reconnect citizens with the sea

Plymouth Culture has secured £1.6m from Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund for a project to engage its residents with the UK’s first National Marine Park.

Sea for Yourself will unite Plymouth’s cultural and natural heritage through a transformative four-year digital programme in partnership with Plymouth Sound National Marine Park and Plymouth City Council.   

The aim is to inspire collective stewardship of Britain’s Ocean City and establish a new benchmark for how creativity and digital technologies can engage local citizens with the environment.

Hannah Harris, CEO of Plymouth Culture, said: “By reconnecting residents with the ocean, we are creating a unique and symbiotic relationship between people and their environment while also laying the foundation for a cultural legacy that will benefit future generations – artists and residents alike.”  

As part of the National Portfolio 2023-26, Plymouth Culture and its network of local partners join forces to develop the city’s cultural ecology and create the conditions for artists and organisations to thrive.

Sea for Yourself will engage The Box, Theatre Royal Plymouth, and Real Ideas, alongside the Arts University Plymouth and the University of Plymouth. 

Tudor Evans, Plymouth City Council leader, added: “Sea for Yourself is more than just a cultural initiative – it’s about transformational change. The focus will be on driving community engagement, creating opportunities for co-creation, and building audiences for the future.”  

For the Arts Council, Phil Gibby, area director (South West), commented: “Plymouth Culture’s application exemplifies how place-based working can pave the way for a sustainable future, both economic and environmental.

“With public art and digital engagement at the heart of Sea for Yourself, residents and businesses will engage with themes of identity, citizenship, environmental responsibility, health and wellbeing, building on the city’s established reputation as a hotbed of creative talent and culture.”