Coastal Explorers, is a series of free summer events for the community, delivered in collaboration with Art Gene and Fylde Council, to explore what the local people value most about the Fylde’s coastline, its nature, history and people.
Funded by Arts Council England with partners Ribble Rivers Trust, Fable Arts, RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts and Leftcoast, the first event saw representatives from organisations and volunteer groups focused on protecting and promoting Fylde’s coastline take a walk around Lytham and Fairhaven. The walk was led by Art Gene, lead artists for the Coastal Explorers programme, as they start to map the area and understand what’s important, interesting and unusual about it.
Tea@Granny’s Bay was the second of the special events when members of the public were served tea and cake in exchange for their knowledge, memories and stories of the area, and their ideas on what they would like to see as the project develops.
Art Gene will be leading their own walk around Lytham Bay on Saturday 12th August from 11am-4pm and it is free and open to all. It will include guest speakers from RSPB, Ribble Rivers Trust and more on nature, history and coastal erosion. Participants can find out all about the Fylde coastline, and help capture its uniqueness by sharing knowledge, memories and insights. Bring a packed lunch and wear appropriate attire. At the end of the walk there will be free food cooked outdoors for the participants at 4pm. Although the event is free, booking is essential.
Later in the year there will be the Design Share Opening, a presentation of concept designs developed by Art Gene, on Friday 27th October at Danbro in Lytham and on Saturday 28th October at the Ribble Discovery Centre in Fairhaven, Lytham, where the exhibition will remain until 11th November.
Artist and sculptor, Stuart Bastik, from Art Gene, told us, ‘The stories and memories we gather from the people of Fylde will inform and inspire our concept designs which we hope will enhance and highlight the beautiful Fylde coastline. There could be maps, a mobile phone app, bird hides or artworks.’ It seems that anything can happen, depending on what the public provides as inspiration.
So, if you would like to have your say, follow the project at www.facebook.com/FyldeCoastalExplorers
For more information or to book tickets visit www.fablearts.org.uk/whats-on or call 0333 6663366
