Great Beacons of Light

Great Beacons of light is a project that promotes the conservation, historical knowledge/ learning and community participation in the arts and culture of the lighthouse towns of the North West Coastline.

Once the most important towns of England and trade centers, many of these towns are loosing thier stories of great importance in this city-centric society. Areas of strong cultural and wildlife heritage must be visited, protected and shared sustainably. These coastline gems must be preserved, conserved and enjoyed for generations to come.

This year-long project will start in 2023, from Hodbarrow lighthouse in The Lakes to Holylake lighthouse in the Wirral, with the scope for many more projects to bloom in this voyage’s afterglow.

I will invite guest artists to each of the ten lighthouses: focusing on poets, visual/ performance artists and actors from the North-West UK and also from Northern Norway. They and I will work with the locals of each town, in schools, community centers and prisons.. using the lighthouse as and anchor to keep floating back to.

I will stay in each town for two weeks, where workshops will be held by myself and the guest artist. The culmination of this will be to create an exhibition in each place, reflecting and sharing what we have learnt and developed. Through each other, we can better understand ourselves and our connection to the land.

In addition, personal artistic responses to the project will be documented through artworks and poetry and will culminate in a solo exhibition upon completion of the project.

For the first stage of my application to Arts Council of England Funding, I must begin fundraising to cover a percentage of what I am asking. This initial fundraising of £1000.00 is to start the project. My specific focus is on the Wyre Light of Fleetwood, as if is in urgent need of attention. It is falling down, with no one claiming any responsibility. I will use the money to begin to raise awareness in the community and further afield, to put on workshops led by myself which will give me a model to follow for the rest of the project.

I am working with Fleetwood museum and the Association of Lighthouse Keepers to raise awareness, laying the foundations of this poignant and vital project. Any donation, no matter how small, will be instrumental in lighting the lights of The North West Again,


Thank you,