From 11–13 June, the vibrant coastal town of Skegness will play host to SEAScape at SO Festival 2025, a three-day international gathering of artists, curators, urban thinkers, and cultural leaders exploring the intersection of art, place, and social change in coastal communities.
Please register your interest using the form at the bottom of the page. We will email you with more detail for each talk soon.
DAY 1: SEAS Project 2004-20010
The programme will open with a look back at the influential SEAS project (2004-20010), as key contributors including Chris Torch, Adam Jeanes (Arts Council England), and others reflected on the original research-led, community-embedded methodology that inspired a decade of cultural experimentation. This will be followed by an interactive Open Space session, led by Nicki Jarvis, where local voices shaped a collaborative “needs analysis” for future cultural planning.
DAY 2: What is an appropriate cultural response?
The second day, themed “What is an appropriate cultural response?” will feature presentations from local and international speakers with facilitated discussions.
Highlights include:
- A keynote by Chris Torch, artistic director SEAS, followed by a community-led plenary.
- Case study of inclusive theatre from Dritero Kasapi (Riksteatern, Sweden).
- Explorations of urban identity with Jacek Dominiczak (Poland), comparing past and present landscapes in Skegness and beyond, based in his methodology Fast Urban Research.
- Provocative panels on environmental sustainability and redefining port cities, with contributions from the Coastal Cultural Network, Culture Declares Emergency, and international partners.
DAY 3: Is there room for us?
The final day shifts focus to the future, with a Youth Forum and performances by local young creatives. In a session titled “Is there room for us?”, young voices challenge the gathered professionals to rethink engagement and legacy.
The event will conclude with an open discussion on next steps, SEAScape 2025 launches a large scale artistic project for 2026 and 2027 – SEAS TOO – beginning with an imaginative leap into how coastal towns can respond to today’s challenges through culture, with authenticity, inclusion, and bold creativity.
