In 2025 – 2026 the East Devon National Landscape Funded Exmouth Town Council to work with Four of Swords to creatively engage young people with wildlife in the sea and the issues faced by marine life. In addition, Exmouth Town Council worked with Drum Devon and Till The Coast is Clear, to develop a performance as part of the Exmouth Sea Festival.
What did they hope to achieve?
To work with many local children to:
- Educate them about the marine environment, in particular hermit crabs, and the sensitivity of the marine ecosystem
- Engage them through creativity in thinking about the sea and being allies
- Create advocates for nature and reducing plastic pollution
- Involve them in the creation of a centrepiece for the play and to join in the performance
How was it funded?
Total Project Cost: £9005
East Devon National Landscape Grant Awarded: £2200 (24% of total project)
Cash Funding: £5000 (Exmouth Town Council Festival budget and Sideshore CIC)
In Kind Match Funding: £1805 (staff time to promote, donated venue hire, donated PA system)
What was delivered?
The grant received was used to fund workshops for over 900 children with Four of Swords (an immersive theatre company based in East Devon) and Drum Devon. During these workshops, children learnt about hermit crabs and how human activity is placing them at risk. They were prompted to think about their memories of the sea, to engage their emotions and make personal links between their wellbeing and the sea’s.
Working with Drum Devon and local charity Till The Coast is Clear, they also helped to create a theatre set piece and musical instruments for use at Exmouth Sea Festival, using plastic gathered from the sea, promoting young people and those who attended the festival to reflect on the waste that ends up in the water.
Key outputs/outcomes
1225 people total engaged
900+ children in creative sessions
30 volunteer actors and drummers in the play
225 people watching the play
11 creative education sessions with 900+ children
1 junk drum workshop held on Exmouth beach
1 play with scenery performed on Exmouth beach
1 parade with junk instruments through Exmouth
Total no. of volunteers: 30
Total no. of volunteer hours: 270
Key connections were made between all partners and collaborators, creating possibilities for the future.
What lessons were learnt during delivery ?
Exmouth Town Council identified that the beach workshop was held at a location too far from the main festival site and was therefore not as well attended.
Jessica Magill, Arts Manager at Exmouth Town Council said
“The East Devon National Landscape funding enabled us to forge links between Sideshore, Four of Swords, Exmouth Town Council, Drum Devon, Till the Coast is Clear and local schools. These relationships create possibilities for future collaborations between active groups working to improve the marine environment.”
