WIREDGOV

Sea for Yourself will unite Plymouth’s cultural and natural heritage through a transformative four-year programme.  

More than £1.6 million has been awarded to NPO Plymouth Culture to develop and deliver a pioneering digital programme in partnership with Plymouth Sound National Marine Park and Plymouth City Council. 

With £751,000 from Arts Council England and £860,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Sea for Yourself will use creativity and culture to engage residents with the UK’s first National Marine Park.

Partners aim 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.

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.”  
Hannah Harris, CEO, Plymouth Culture

New opportunities for artists include four major cultural commissions; making visible the invisible, archive and heritage, immersive environments, and outdoor installations.

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

“Plymouth Culture’s application exemplifies how place-based working can pave the way for a sustainable future, both economic and environmental” adds Phil Gibby, Area Director (South West), Arts Council England.

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 NPOs The Box, Theatre Royal Plymouth, and Real Ideas, alongside local HEIs Arts University Plymouth and University of Plymouth.  

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.”  
Phil Gibby, Area Director (South West), Arts Council England.