Art and the Sea

As part of the Art and the Sea programme initiated by The Crown Estate, the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts is celebrating the heritage, landscape and culture of the Norfolk coast. The project continues this summer, working with communities from Weybourne to Sea Palling, following a long tradition of using art to interpret and respond to social and environmental change along the coastline.

For this part of the project, the Centre has commissioned artist Sophie Utting to make a work in response to local experiences of weather and the changing landscape of the coast. Sophie will create a film, shot on Super8 and hand-developed, made up of the memories and experiences of those living in the area. Through interviews, archival research and the involvement of local people, she hopes to capture a true sense of the place.

As part of the commission, Sophie will also work alongside the Sainsbury Centre outreach team on projects with the community in the area. We would be grateful to hear from anybody interested in being involved in this project, and to hear from members of the local community who wish to share personal stories, memories and experiences of the past and present in these places relating to weather, erosion and local history. Sophie will be spending time along this stretch of coastline from April to June and will be interviewing local residents about their experience of the landscape.

Sophie intends to show the finished film in places accessible to the community, such as cafés and village halls as well as in galleries, and hopes to screen it outside in as many places between Sea Palling and Weybourne as possible.

For more information about this project or if you are interested in taking part please email: artandthecoast.scva@gmail.com

Art and Biodiversity

Throughout history the natural world has been a major source of inspiration for both artists and scientists, but it is now widely recognised that biodiversity is increasingly threatened by human activity. Many species are endangered as a consequence of habitat loss, climate change, pollution, overharvesting and the introduction of invasive alien species.

The Art and Biodiversity Partnership brings together artists, scientists, conservation experts, students and the public to raise awareness of the current biodiversity crisis and of the links between art and biodiversity. The Sainsbury Centre works with Norfolk Biodiversity Partnership, Norfolk Wildlife Trust and the School of Biological Sciences at UEA to encourage action through the arts, stimulate discussions and contribute to interdisciplinary co-operation between the arts and sciences.

This summer we are running an Art and Nature Summer School for children aged 8 - 12. Read more.

To find out more, visit the Art and Biodiversity website