Photo of Hastings fishing boat by Louisa Evans.
Photo of Washed up glass buoy by Completely Coastal
Photo of Hastings fishing huts by Louisa Evans
"Can you catch a mermaid?" One of the questions following the showcase.
Buoyed: fishers’ voices lifted
Brexit is seen by many in the fishing industry as a critical opportunity to renegotiate their rights and re-orientate fisheries and marine management in the UK. For others, it poses a further threat to long-term economic and social wellbeing. This project aims to raise the political voice of inshore fishing communities to enable them to engage in policy debate over UK fisheries regulation and fishers’ rights outside of the EU.
About the project
Fishermen are no strangers to uncertainty and risk, yet accelerating rates of environmental, social and regulatory change are having an enormous impact on UK fisheries – the fabric of many coastal communities. Brexit is seen by many people in the fishing industry as a critical opportunity to renegotiate their rights and re-orientate fisheries and marine management in the UK. For others, it poses a further threat to their long-term economic and social wellbeing.
The objective of this research-for-impact project is to empower and raise the political voice of inshore and typically marginalised fishing communities in anticipation of new avenues for them to engage in policy debate over UK fisheries regulation and fishers’ rights outside of the Europe Union.
The central concept of Buoyed is to develop beautiful pieces of playable art through which fishers’ voices are represented and shared with the general public, media and selected decision-makers. Stories and songs will be co-created that reflect on fishers’ experiences of environmental and policy change, and their aspirations and intentions under Brexit.
Buoyed is an interactive, playful cluster of magical glass buoys that hang above head height, suspended by slender wooden stems. They tease you with their pulsing glow and muffled voices, enticing you in for a closer listen. And as you reach them, they start speaking to you…
THE MAKING OF BUOYED from R&A Collaborations on Vimeo.
The project is funded by an Impact Acceleration scheme from the University of Exeter.
Project Team
We are a team of academics, creatives and practitioners who are passionate about social and environmental change and justice, drawn from the University of Exeter, Kaleider, Coastal Producer Organisation, New Under Ten Fishermen’s Association, Blue Marine Foundation.
We are working closely with the Hastings Fishermen’s Protection Society and the community of Mevagissey in Cornwall.
For further information or to get involved please contact Louisa Evans: Louisa.evans@exeter.ac.uk; 01392 724407.
You can also follow us on Twitter:
Project Activities
Through creative and engaging methods the project aims to empower fishers and promote conscientisation, as the critical awareness of one’s social reality developed through self-reflection and action.
Community Engagement
The project will work creatively with two fishing communities: Hastings in the South-east and Mevagissey in Cornwall. Activities will focus on eliciting and co-creating stories, songs and shanties about fishing communities’ experiences of change and their aspirations for the future.
Fisher Survey
The project will conduct a survey of fishers’ visions for a future outside of the EU. This survey will be inspired by scenario planning approaches to capture different perspectives on potential future outcomes for the inshore sector.
Events and Outputs
The Buoyed installation was launched at the Hastings Fish and Wine Festival (September 2017) and showcased to a non-fishing audience at Exeter’s Lost Weekend (October 2017).
Soundbites
To hear the stories and songs that comprise the Buoyed installation please click on the links below:
Feedback
At each event members of the public were invited to respond to the emotions the installation evoked by writing a post-card back to the fishermen and women.
Please see some of these below:
Richard Adams
“Wonderful project and a real need to promote the fishing fleet of Hastings and all other small fleets. I am very proud to be Mayor of Hastings and its fishing heritage”
“You make an important contribution to Hastings in so many ways: as well as fantastic fish your involvement in art, culture, education and tourism are invaluable, and often overlooked.”
“We need more of this!!!! It sounds like Cornwall – who doesn’t want to be there!”
Tush
“I am moved by the voices of the women and the songs. It gives me new respect for working beaches I have been on and can feel the community spirit that you have created. I wish you well”
“Thank you for taking part in this project. Just came across the installation in the park – what a brilliant way to make us aware of your community. We’ll ask for British fish in future”
“I enjoy hearing insights into industries and ways of life which I don’t know much about, like the difference of a working beach, and the challenges faced with Brexit. Fishing is a complex and fraught area, where the needs of fisherfolk to get on to do their daily work has to balanced with sustainability (and the inevitable politics)”
Max
“Hello, I am 6 months old. My dad spends a lot of time at sea and I love the deep voices of the fishermen. I wish it were my lullaby every night”
“I’d like to send my best wishes to all of the inshore fishermen. I was quite moved when I heard of the challenges that you are facing. So much today seems to be about who shouts loudest. Your cause is just, so be vocal, be VERY vocal and shout LOUDLY.”
“I didn’t realise that through Brexit fisheries would get a better deal. I have always been for the EU but understand it has killed the fishing industry in the UK. Support fishing in the UK as it is sustainable but sad to hear the stories, facts behind it.”
Sticks
“I am not sure that a stance of ‘we don’t want to change, don’t want anything to do with politics’ can be sustained with Brexit. If you voted to leave, you voted for change and used a political vehicle to achieve that change. Problem is UK government not EU. You have shot yourself in the foot and destroyed everyone else’s future too”
“If only we could all just fish! When the big foreign trawlers return to our waters you may appreciate the EU protection”
"Let our fishermen fish OUR waters, give them back their fishing rights. Must be part of Brexit.”
Michael Edmunds
“I hear your voice, sea calling, waves splashing, fish on my plate. Thank you for all you do”
“It’s the UK government’s attitude to quota that needs to change – give a fair allocation to the under 10m fleet. Government needs to implement high court decision on quota – that it can’t be bought or sold. A lot needs to change before sustainable fisheries like Hastings can have their future assured. Brexit won’t necessarily deliver what we need”
