Sea for Yourself: 3 New Artist Commissions Launched

Three artist commissions | £8,000 each | Deadline: 9am, 11 September 2026

We’re inviting artists, creatives, collectives and cultural organisations from across Devon and Cornwall to help tell the story of Plymouth’s connection to the sea. Working with one of three landmark sites in the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park, you’ll co-create digital work rooted in place, people and community.

Commissions overview:

• Three artist commissions available
• £8,000 per commission (inclusive of VAT, artist fee, materials and production)
• Choose one of three anchor sites: Tinside Lido, Mount Edgcumbe Garden Battery, or the National Marine Aquarium
• Open to artists, creatives, collectives and organisations living in Devon and Cornwall, at any career stage
• Commission period: October 2026 – August 2027
• Deadline for applications: 9am, 11 September 2026

About the opportunity

Sea for Yourself invites submissions from artists, creatives, collectives and cultural organisations, working in any artform, to collaborate with anchor sites and communities within the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park (PSNMP) to create place-based digital outcomes that tell the story of people and place.

Sea for Yourself is a four-year programme of creative digital interventions designed to reconnect citizens to the sea for mutual benefit and long-term transformation. The programme is led by Plymouth Culture in partnership with Plymouth Sound National Marine Park, and is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England Place Partnership Fund.

What we are looking for?

We’re seeking proposals that outline a creative approach to engaging and involving communities to uncover and tell the stories associated with one of three anchor sites (Tinside Lido, Mount Edgcumbe, and the National Marine Aquarium / Ocean Conservation Trust). This may include the use of oral histories and archival materials.

The creative outputs will be determined through your engagement with communities and partners, so at this stage your proposal needs to outline your approach and methodologies, identifying how these align with the overall aims and objectives.

These commissions are focused on digital storytelling rooted in place and community, so must result in a digital output – which can form part of a physical output in a different medium if desired. Selected artists will be expected to spend time in and with the anchor sites, and to deploy proactive, inclusive approaches to engaging communities, ensuring that artistic and creative responses are situated in place.

The accessible digital outputs will need to connect with the programme of heritage and interpretation taking place at each site. Commissions can vary in structure and duration but must take place between October 2026 and August 2027.

Commissioned artists will receive support from the Sea for Yourself team, including the Producer and Marketing lead.