About Plymouth Culture
Who are Plymouth Culture?
Plymouth Culture champions the energy and creativity that run through the city, bringing people together to make things happen. It connects artists, organisations and communities, creating opportunities to collaborate, share ideas and shape something bigger together. By opening up culture to more people, it helps talent grow, builds confidence and strengthens pride in place. This joined up approach enriches everyday life, supports jobs and skills, and helps Plymouth grow as a bold, creative city with a strong sense of identity and belonging.
A Creative Collaboration with the Marine Park
Plymouth Culture champions a thriving cultural life across the city, supporting creativity, collaboration and connection. It brings together artists, organisations and communities to share ideas, spark innovation and celebrate what makes Plymouth unique. By strengthening links across the cultural sector, it helps open up opportunities, grow local talent and make culture accessible to more people. This joined up approach not only enriches everyday life but also supports the city’s economy and sense of place, helping Plymouth to grow as a confident, creative city for everyone. It creates space for new voices and ensures culture plays a role in shaping the city’s future.
Artist Commission One
David Cotterrall
David’s work is the first of four major commissions, each exploring a different side of Plymouth Sound, from hidden marine environments and maritime heritage to digital experiences and community led creativity.
This commission invites the artist to make the unseen visible, drawing on the Marine Park’s rich stories and assets. David’s research looks at how we can reveal the water systems beneath and around us, helping people reflect on their connection to the sea. The work will unfold across digital screens in the city, creating a shared experience that connects people with Plymouth’s living, layered relationship with the ocean.
Artist Commission Two
Leila Gamaz and
Hanna Kubbutat-Byrne
Hanna and Leila, both based in the South West, bring a wealth of experience working across care settings, heritage spaces, faith communities and social change. Their Sea for Yourself commission explores cultural identity, community memory and what it means to be part of a city shaped by the sea.
Working with The Box and its archives, they will invite people from across Plymouth to share stories, memories and creative responses. These contributions will come together as a series of connected physical and digital works, building a shared picture of Plymouth’s coastal identity, shaped by the people who live it every day.
Artist Residencies
Plymouth Culture launched an open call in summer 2025 to select four artist projects for the Sea for Yourself programme.
These residencies give artists the time and space to explore Plymouth Sound, creating work that brings forward community stories, personal connections to the sea and the area’s rich heritage. They also support artists to develop their practice and try new ideas.
We’re pleased to introduce the selected artists and share a glimpse of what they have created and will be creating during their time in the city.
Agnieszka Blonska and Tori Cannell
‘Through My Eyes’
Through My Eyes is a reflective, immersive audio experience by Cornwall based artists Agnieszka Blonska and Tori Cannell. It explores the deep connections between sea, migration and motherhood, shaped by the voices and memories of Polish mothers living in Plymouth.
Designed to be experienced while seated by the water, the work invites audiences to listen, look out to sea and see Plymouth Sound through the artists’ and participants’ eyes. Originally developed with young people in Penzance, the piece is being reimagined with local voices at its heart.
Through a series of participatory workshops, contributors will share stories and memories, exploring their journeys and personal connections to the sea.
Kayla Parker and
Stuart Moore
‘Mount Batten Project’
Artist Kayla Parker is working with filmmaker Stuart Moore to create a 360 film exploring the heritage, wildlife and built environment of the Mount Batten peninsula, where the River Plym meets Plymouth Sound.
Working with pupils and staff from Hooe Primary Academy alongside members of the Old Plymouth Society, the project brings together different generations to share their experiences of this place. The film draws on their stories, memories and perspectives, creating a rich, layered portrait of Mount Batten shaped by the people who know it best.
Low Profile and
Laura Hopes
‘Let’s SEA Your Tatts!’
Plymouth based artists LOW PROFILE and Laura Hopes created a project celebrating the city’s deep connection to the sea.
Drawing on the long tradition of maritime tattoos, the work explored how these designs carry personal stories and shared meanings, linking people to the ocean and to each other. The artists invited people with a connection to Plymouth to share photographs of their sea inspired tattoos and the stories behind them. They also hosted free creative workshops, where participants came together to design new tattoos, adding fresh layers to Plymouth’s living coastal identity.
Megan Roberts
‘and breathe…’
And Breathe… was a project by Cornwall based artist Megan Roberts, exploring how time spent by and in the sea can support mindfulness, wellbeing and stress relief.
The four week programme brought together people aged 55 and over through a series of workshops, ending in an immersive film shown in the Market Hall’s 360 degree dome. Through guided conversations and creative activities, participants reflected on everyday pressures, from work and family life to isolation and feeling overwhelmed, creating space for shared understanding and connection.
As part of the project, the group visited Devil’s Point to capture footage and sound for the final film. The work invited both participants and audiences to see the sea as a regular, restorative part of life.