Sea for Yourself
Artist Commissions
Plymouth’s heritage and connection to the ocean is at the heart of an inspiring new cultural and artistic programme, Sea for Yourself, through which we are inviting Plymouth residents to reconnect with the sea.
Over the next four years, we will be offering four major art commissioning opportunities for ambitious projects to be presented across the city.
We will support artists to explore a range of themes and approaches: making visible the underwater world, exploring our city’s rich archive and marine heritage, co-creating projects with communities and developing new digital and immersive nature-based experiences across Plymouth.
Commission One
The first commission will be delivered in 2025/26 and work is already underway.
The focus of this first commission is to showcase Plymouth Sound National Marine Park’s (PSNMP) rich heritage and assets, taking a creative approach to the theme of making visible what is invisible or inaccessible under the Sound, and bringing the sea into the city.
Artist Residencies
Plymouth Culture ran an open call process in summer 2025 to identify three artists in residence for the Sea for Yourself programme.
The residencies are designed to support artists to create work that shines a light on community stories, personal connections to the sea, and the rich heritage of Plymouth Sound, while providing space for creative exploration and professional development.
Commission Two
Plymouth Culture invited applications for the next major commission in Sea for Yourself.
The chosen artist or collective will have expertise in socially engaged practice and experience working with digital technology to develop a collaborative, co-created project rooted in community voices.
