Sea for Yourself Artist Commission:
Digital Storytelling
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.
At a glance
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 City Council and Plymouth Sound National Marine Park, and is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England Place Partnership Fund.
What we're 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.
Choose your site
Each commission is tied to one of three anchor sites. Pick the one that speaks to your practice.
Tinside Lido
The opportunity: Tinside Lido has been part of Plymouth life for generations of residents and visitors. This heritage site and visitor attraction has a 90-year history, and we want to tell that story, capturing and sharing the memories, histories and feelings associated with Tinside.
Things to consider
Tinside is a Grade II listed building, so physical installations need to take account of this.
The pool is open to the public May–September, with the coffee pod open all year.
The site is public access, so artist access and activities such as filming need to be pre-arranged.
Mount Edgcumbe Garden Battery
The opportunity: The Garden Battery at Mount Edgcumbe is undergoing significant renovation to enable public access for the first time in its history. We want to tell the story of the building, the experiences of the soldiers who served there, and the modern-day memories of the space for communities. Archival material held in Kresen Kernow could provide rich material and inspiration, alongside oral histories from communities.
Things to consider
The building renovation will be completed by 1 November 2026, and the site will open to the public May–October 2027.
The space is unmanned and open to the public.
National Marine Aquarium
The opportunity: The aquarium has been part of the city fabric for 138 years. It first opened at the Marine Biological Association in 1888 before moving to its current, purpose-built home in 1998. The Ocean Conservation Trust, who operate the aquarium, have made it their life's work to connect people to the ocean and protect it for generations to come. Their current 'Meet the Marine Park' programme takes this work into every community across the city. We'd be keen to celebrate this heritage and map the connection between conservation and community engagement.
Things to consider
This is a public access site, so installation work needs to be signed off for safety reasons.
Objectives
The commissions support the wider ambitions of the Sea for Yourself programme:
Artists have an opportunity to develop new skills and cross-sector collaborations that enhance and expand socially engaged practice across the city.
Communities currently disconnected from the marine environment are supported to build a new relationship, developing a sense of pride and cultural identity.
Communities participate in creating a shared story of Plymouth's connection to the sea, boosting civic pride and a sense of belonging.
Audiences experience a changed perception of culture and the marine environment through participation in relevant and engaging creative opportunities.
Audiences and communities feel empowered to be changemakers through creative experiences that build confidence and ocean literacy.
Intended outcomes
It's intended that the commissions will:
Engage audiences with the PSNMP, increasing understanding of the marine environment
Create an opportunity to platform community voices and stories
Create a new body of work through participatory and co-creation methods with communities
Develop the artist's practice
Use digital inputs and/or create digital outputs that can be shared online and physically in the anchor sites
Connect to other partners and activity within the Sea for Yourself programme to support added value and legacy
Who can apply
This opportunity is open to artists living in Devon and Cornwall. We welcome proposals from all artforms including, but not limited to, visual art, music, sound art, film, photography, illustration, design, and written and spoken word.
We welcome applications from individuals, collectives and organisations. Creatives at all stages of their career are welcome to apply.
Budget
The total budget available for each commission is £8,000 (inclusive of VAT), to include artist fee, travel and accommodation expenses, materials, production and project delivery costs.
Whilst the duration of the commission will vary for each artist, we advocate for fair pay and will want to see that budget allocations meet industry standards.
HOW TO APPLY
The deadline to apply is 11 September 2026, 9am GMT
Please submit your Expression of Interest using the application form by 9am, 11 September 2026.
A copy of the questions can be found here to help you prepare.
You may choose to send your submission as an audio or video file of up to 10 minutes' duration. This file, in the appropriate format, can be uploaded to the submission form.
Selection criteria
Applications will be assessed by a shortlisting and interview panel drawn from the partnership, consisting of the Sea for Yourself production team, PSNMP representatives and the anchor sites.
Assessment will be made against a set of criteria that consider:
Quality of work and practice
Appropriateness
Impact
Deliverability
Timeline
Applications open - 31 July 2026
Information webinar - 19 August 2026 (a recorded version of the webinar will be uploaded to this webpage if you can’t make the live date). Click here to register.
Deadline for applications - 9am, 11 September 2026
Interviews held- Week commencing 28 September 2026
Confirmation of selected artists - 5 October 2026
Interviews will be held in person in Plymouth at an accessible venue, with a digital option provided.
Access and inclusion
We're committed to creating opportunities that are accessible and inclusive. If you feel you may need extra support with the application process or during delivery of the commission, please contact Hope Norman to discuss your requirements at hope@plymouthculture.co.uk. This information will not be used to inform the selection process.
Images: Jay Stone, Fionn Davenport
