Sea for Yourself: Tide Together
Tide Together
Discover Plymouth Through Its Tides
The tide changes Plymouth every day. Twice a day, the sea rises and falls, shaping our coastline, influencing wildlife, revealing hidden habitats and connecting communities across Plymouth Sound.
The place where land and sea meet is known as the intertidal zone. It’s the area that’s covered by the sea at high tide and revealed again when the water recedes. Constantly changing, it’s one of the most dynamic environments in nature.
Tide Together is a city-wide invitation to explore Plymouth’s relationship with the sea through art, creativity, learning and community experiences.
At the heart of the project is Intertidal, a major new artwork by British artist David Cotterrell that brings the movement of Plymouth’s tide into unexpected places across the city.
Find the Intertidal Cars
Intertidal will travel to locations across Plymouth from 3 September to 19 October 2026.
The cars will move to different locations throughout the project, so check back regularly to see where they’re appearing next and follow their journey across the city.
How do the cars work?
Each Ford Fiesta has been completely re-engineered.
The engine and interior have been replaced with reservoirs, pumps, sensors, batteries and digital controls. Using tidal information and location data, each car calculates what its water level should be at that moment.
As the tide rises and falls in Plymouth Sound, the water inside the car rises and falls too.
When full, each vehicle holds around 900 litres of water. The result is neither a car nor a conventional sculpture.
It’s a machine for making the tide visible.
Why Tides?
Tides shape life in Plymouth.
They reveal hidden habitats, influence marine wildlife and constantly transform the coastline around us. But their impact reaches far beyond the water’s edge.
Tide Together invites people to discover how the rhythm of the sea influences our city and to explore a deeper connection with Plymouth Sound National Marine Park. Watch the video below to find out more.
That’s Cool. What Else Can I Do?
Intertidal is just the beginning.
Tide Together includes a programme of activities, events and conversations designed to help people explore Plymouth’s connection to the sea in different ways.
Tide Cafés
Informal gatherings where local people, artists and specialists come together to share stories, ideas and conversations about tides, the sea and Plymouth Sound.
Creative Activities
Workshops, community projects and family-friendly activities inspired by tides, marine life and our relationship with the sea.
Learning Resources
Resources for schools, families and home educators that bring together art, engineering, science and marine knowledge through the story of Intertidal.
About Sea for Yourself
Tide Together is part of Sea for Yourself, a cultural programme led by Plymouth Culture in partnership with Plymouth Sound National Marine Park.
Through creativity, participation and digital innovation, Sea for Yourself helps people discover new ways to connect with the UK’s first National Marine Park.
Together, Sea for Yourself, Tide Together and Intertidal invite people to explore Plymouth Sound, discover the stories of the sea and experience the city through its tides.
Follow the tide. Discover something unexpected.
Have you spotted an issue with one of our cars?
Whilst we have eyes on the ground we appreciate we might not be the first to notice if something’s gone wrong. If you spot an issue please give us a call to report it so we can fix it super quick. Thank you. Call Plymouth Culture on: 07769 690 402.