#WeAreASea
Client: Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Campaign: Seeds of Hope
Brief: Inspire hope and belief in a brighter future through showcasing the power of nature and community in Hastings
Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s ‘Seeds of Hope’ campaign aimed to showcase the power of nature and community in tackling key issues which affect vulnerable communities the most, such as cost of living, mental health, and the climate and nature crises.
I wanted to celebrate stories of possibility and solidarity in a world where governments have fallen short, and a world where hope is in the shadows whilst doom is in the mainstream. I wanted to bring people together, shifting narratives away from polarisation and separation (from each other and the natural world), and instead speak of interdependence and community.
WE ARE A SEA offered a new headline for Hastings, one which united the community, was more inclusive and relevant than anything 1066-related, and one which reflected the growing ocean of hope bubbling away within the town. Instead of looking back 1,000 years, WE ARE A SEA invited Hastings to look forward.
In the space of just two months a playful, distinctive and accessible brand identity was born and a high profile local media campaign was launched, building up to a curated weekend of joyful activities celebrating the ‘Hastings Heroes’ who help keep their seas and shoreline clean, safe, and welcoming.
Designed to be inclusive, bridging social and cultural divides, this decentralised festival took place in ‘Action Hubs’ located along the seafront and was entirely free, with complimentary shuttle buses from harder to reach parts of town.
WE ARE A SEA also served to connect the diverse array of featured artists, groups, venues and change-makers; helping them to forge new relationships, build deeper community connections and generate mutual support.
WE ARE A SEA’s brand assets were open-sourced to those involved, inviting community adoption and adaptation. This, alongside the hashtag, prominent billboard and seafront panels helped generate an exciting town-wide buzz. The website - weareasea.net, which received 2000 visits in its first four weeks - remained live until Jan 2025, with its deeper context, alongside hopeful stories and ‘Heroes & Hubs’ directory, providing a useful resource for the people of Hastings.
WE ARE A SEA. Together we make waves.
#WEAREASEA #community #possibility #solidarity
Graphic design: Southerly Studio
Photography: Alice Denny | Videography: Beth King
WE ARE A SEA website
The website remained live until Jan 2025, with its deeper context, alongside hopeful stories and a directory of Hastings Heroes & Hubs, providing a useful resource for local people:
www.weareasea.net
What People Are Saying
“It took me out of my comfort zone, from being in the house, to being on the beach.”
— Star, 14, Participant
“WE ARE A SEA gave a great sense of people acknowledging a natural force - the sea - in their life and way of life, that brings them together.
I feel like there's more hope when people do things collectively. When we can see that the activities, conversations, collaborations, collective enterprises, connections across a community - otherwise hidden or happening separately - are bought out in the open and can be experienced as a movement. Being part of something and feeling hopeful can be an empowering next step, for example towards taking action.”
— Craig, Participant
“Community spirit, inclusivity, and creativity! And delicious food 😊
I enjoyed seeing the bringing together of different communities through art and food 💚. The kids loved helping with the mural and the illuminated bike ride! I look forward to seeing how it evolves.”
— Sofie, Participant
“Lovely Community Connections. Thank you for bringing us all together.”
— Amanda, Featured Change-maker and Green Party Councillor
“WE ARE A SEA in a few words… inspiring, hopeful, community, passion, dedication, hope. I thought it was great. The mix of locations, people, local businesses, the beach cleans....
Everyone was so keen and excited for the Kelp Project and the potential, it was amazing to see so many interested people in the project. It has given me even more of a boost to make it happen. Their enthusiasm has inspired me more.”
— Chris, Featured Change-maker, Hastings Kelp Project
“It was a pleasure to see a non-commercial, art orientated billboard on my street. It is so refreshing compared to the normal advertisements that we are usually bombarded with. We have such a rich art community in St Leonards and Hastings and to see that reflected in this way was truly joyous.”
— Ben, Local Resident
“The biggest thing I felt when I was in conversation with Clean Water Action Group was pride. Pride at how much people give voluntarily, how much they do to try to affect change in our town.
WE ARE A SEA and community-led events like this in our town really do help create hope – it’s about sending out positive waves and keeping those community connections going. Keeping ourselves connected is so important. And WE ARE A SEA gave us that opportunity in bucket loads.”
— Becca, Featured Change-maker and Green Party Councillor
“Lots of new faces! A chance to share the Afri-Co-Lab vibe. So much curiosity, enthusiasm, determination, teamwork and conversations.
It's important that people understand that really simple actions can make beautiful things. For example, a piece of paper can be folded into a paper whale, which is then turned into a greeting card that is used to send a message of love. While these actions are small and simple, they are important. We can all do them, and we can make a visible impact.”
— Lilly, Featured Change-maker, Afri-Co-Lab
It was very uplifting and encouraging to see the local community coming together to support so many great causes, all dedicated to keeping our local sea and shoreline beautiful and welcoming. The activities were all brilliant and allowed people to engage with serious issues in a fun and thought-provoking way.
In particular, it’s felt very disheartening dealing with the frequent polluting of our local waters, but an event like this gives visibility to the large amount of like-minded individuals and groups who care strongly for our coastline and builds a lot of hope for the future.”