Sea for Yourself

Co-exhibitors:

Leila Gamaz and Hanna Kubbutat-Byrne

Sea for Yourself is a multi-year cultural programme led by Plymouth Culture in partnership with Plymouth Sound National Marine Park. It explores Plymouth’s deep and evolving relationship with the sea through art, creativity, storytelling, research and community participation.

Plymouth’s heritage and connection to the ocean are at the heart of an inspiring new cultural and artistic programme that invites Plymouth residents to reconnect with the sea. The programme helps people notice, experience and feel more connected to the sea, while encouraging curiosity, care and participation. Through artist commissions, creative residencies, digital innovation and community projects, Sea for Yourself opens up new ways for people to engage with the Marine Park and understand its relevance to everyday life in Plymouth.

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.

This creative collaboration brings artists, communities, researchers and civic partners together to explore what the sea means to the city now and what it could mean in the future.

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David’s work was the first of four major commissions, each exploring themes ranging from inaccessible or unseen marine environments to maritime heritage, immersive digital experiences, and community co-creation.

This commission prompted the artist to develop creative ideas that might ‘make visible the invisible’. Drawing on the Marine Park's rich heritage and assets, David’s research explored ways to reveal submerged or unseen water systems and invite public reflection on our connection to the sea. The work unfolded as a transformative cultural experience, using interventions across the city to connect visitors and residents to Plymouth’s infrastructural, cultural, and emotional interconnections with the ocean.

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Sea for Yourself is being led by Plymouth Culture in partnership with Plymouth City Council and Plymouth Sound National Marine Park. The programme development and delivery is supported by key partners including The Box, Real Ideas, Arts University Plymouth, University of Plymouth and Theatre Royal Plymouth. Sea for Yourself is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England Place Partnership Fund.