World Ocean Day 2022 – before it’s too late!
A CELEBRATION OF WORLD OCEAN DAY AT ST MARY’S CHURCH, FRATTON ON WEDNESDAY 8TH JUNE 2022.
An exhibition of artwork by local schools and artists open to the community, followed by fun and engaging STEM workshops. Plus an evening of magical tales, sea shanties, octopus stories and show-stopping entertainment.
The evening performance started with dance from Kings Youth Theatre who presented pieces from their ‘SOS: Save Our Seas’ show.
This school’s engagement project was led by Pamodzi Creatives and supported by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, the University of Portsmouth, and Revolution Plastics and funded by Arts Council England.
World Ocean Day
Currently, less than 17% of land worldwide and less than 8% of the ocean is protected.
The global pandemic put a lot of big decisions on hold, but our world leaders will soon convene for the long-delayed COP-15 Biodiversity Summit in Kunming, China where a global commitment to the 30×30 goal of 30% of the world’s oceans to be protected by 3030 is a possible outcome.
By supporting 30×30, we can protect our planet’s life support systems – by recognizing and preserving the interconnected relationship between our ocean, climate, and biodiversity. With your help, and the efforts of hundreds of other organizations worldwide, together we will promote and grow the global 30×30 movement by spreading awareness and gathering public support.
The audience joined us and show their support for this aim at our World Ocean Day event but we also asked that they also sign this year’s 30×30 petition here.
Before It’s Too Late Performance Night
An evening of magical stories, sea shanties, octopus stories and show-stopping entertainment. The evening performance started with dance from Kings Youth Theatre who presented pieces from their ‘SOS: Save Our Seas’ show.
Author Becci Louise read extracts from her book ‘Octopus Medicine’, a book of verse-poems that tell of an octopus who dreams of stars (and gets caught by a fisherman!).
Stacey Tonkin from Bristol Aquarium shared incredible stories from her experience of caring for a Giant Pacific Octopus.
A screening of RUSH a short film that explores the life and philosophy of Oly Rush, who ditched his 9-5 job for beach cleans and record-breaking swims.
Plus The Powder Monkeys singing sea shanties featuring the voices of Jackson Batchelor, Pat Howe, Hannah Prowse, Diggory Rose, & Heather Uden.
And the Octopus Story Writers Group including Eileen Phyall, Kim Balouch, Christine Lawrence, Matt Wingett and Sandra Gherasim set sail on a journey of imagination with tales of the bizarre, strange, true and incredible.
Before It’s Too Late Workshops
The workshops included activities from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and STEMunity supported by postgraduate marine researchers from the University of Portsmouth.
Emily Stroud HIWWT Workshop
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT) gave a presentation on marine life that included a fun drawing session.
STEMUnity Workshops supported by Revolution Plastics
The Revolution Plastics and STEMunity team brought their favourite experiments to St Mary’s where young people were able to see some of the fascinating science around pollution in the Solent that have been carried out. Experiments included a homemade wave generator, the plastics separation method and some small little shrimp friends.
READ OCTOPUS STORY BLOG: Noise Pollution in the Marine Environment – by Rowena Cowton, Marine Champion for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.
READ OCTOPUS STORY BLOG: Chemical Pollution in the Marine Environment – by Amelia Corvin-Czarnodolski, Marine Champion for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.
READ OCTOPUS STORY BLOG: Microplastics in the marine environment – by Natalie Harris, Marine Champion for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.
Before It’s Too Late Exhibition
The exhibition and featured a giant octopus and fantastical sea creatures hanging above the ground as if floating in the sea. These imagined strange and bizarre creatures might have emerged from a sea polluted by plastic. Created by artists and local children the works focus on the sea pollution we can’t see – noise, microplastics and chemicals.
Supported by local artists Splodge Designs, Seekers Create, and My Friendly Planet. With by University of Portsmouth specialist marine biology, postgraduate students the exhibition featured work by young people from Flying Bull Academy, Solent Junior School, Westover primary school and Meon Junior School Ecco Warriors.
Angela McMahon: fantastical and strange sea creatures hang above the ground as if floating in the sea. These imagined, strange and bizarre creatures might have emerged from a sea polluted by plastic. Ghosts of creatures we may lose or have lost from pollution or futuristic, inedible mutant creatures that might evolve in the mass of floating plastic that engulfs our oceans.
Splodge Design: a giant octopus and other sea creatures created with Gosport based group Community Spirit (Voluntheroes) as part of the ‘Drastic Plastic’ project funded by Gosport Cultural Trust. Alongside this will appear the light-up whale created as part of Fratton Big Local Festival of Light.
Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and Hornpipe Small Grants Scheme.
