Join the conversation - Ocean Care: A Long Table and report launch
22 July 2026 16:00 until 18:00
University of Sussex Campus - Sussex School for Progressive Futures Room, Library
Speaker: Chaired by Professor Ann Light
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How can we inspire people to care for our seas and coasts, and what role can communities, artists, researchers and local organisations play in creating change?
Come for a brief introduction to More-Than-Human Sea-Facing Eco-Social Change-Making, a report sharing ideas from across Western Europe gathered as part of the EU Bauhaus of the Seas project. The report brings together ideas, practices and perspectives from across Western Europe, exploring new ways of supporting relationships between people, the sea and coastal environments.
Stay for the Long Table discussing ocean care and how to inspire our neighbours and fellow city-dwellers with strategies and motivation to look after the sea and coasts. A Long Table is an inclusive space of drinks and discussion, shaped to keep conversation open to specialist and curious participants alike.
Register now.
Chaired by Professor Ann Light (University of Sussex), the discussion will bring together contributions from researchers, artists and practitioners working across environmental engagement, community participation and coastal futures, including:
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Jo Smallwood, University of Sussex, author of the Rights of Nature Toolkit.
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Lewis White, Sussex Bay
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Karen Poley, The Living Coast Undersea Experience project
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Serena Pollastri, Lancaster University, Coastal Futures
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Anna Bertmark, Lancaster University, Glittering Prospects
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Dani Admiss, Carbon Afterlives
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Gillian Russell, Simon Fraser University, Ocean Futures project
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Julie Light, Marine Museum of Lost Potential
What is a Long Table?
Created by performance artist Lois Weaver to encourage strangers to talk, a Long Table is a chance to speak seriously about a topic in a relaxed environment. The table can hold 10 people and there is an empty chair. Anyone can fill it. Discussion goes on as the tablecloth fills with doodles, notes, and pictures of sea and coastal life. Snacks and drinks keep the energy up.