A striking new public art installation celebrating collective environmental action has been unveiled at the Sidmouth Wallspace, located at the Ham Car Park in Sidmouth.

Designed by Digital Artist and Graphic Designer, who is the Creative Director of Sidmouth Coastal Community Hub, Tara Greifenberg, the artwork presents the Marine and Green Community Charter—a visual collation of community pledges gathered from Sea Fest 2026 and the Sidmouth Coastal Community Hub (SCCH) online survey as part of the National Lottery-funded Marine and Green project.

The billboard stands as a high-profile public participation project, transforming community voices, pledges, and local data into a prominent visual representation. By displaying the community’s ongoing care, commitment, and active concern for the environment, the artwork serves to share these local priorities directly with residents, visitors, and local decision-makers.

Artwork Description & Visual Narrative

Set against a gridded turquoise-to-lime green gradient background, the 6m x 3m billboard artwork blends graphic illustration, photo-collage, and handwritten mind-map diagrams:

The Two Guardian Figures: Anchoring the composition on the lower left and lower right are two stylised human figures representing the duality of the environment.

On the left stands the Marine Guardian, decked in oceanic hues of deep blue, featuring a headdress of sea corals, tendrils, and marine elements. Reflective mirrored sunglasses frame coastal imagery, including a surfer and a sailboat.

On the right stands the Green Guardian, wearing foliage, leaves, and a rabbit perched atop a crown of greenery. Reflective glasses showcase scenes of people enjoying outdoors and lush landscapes.

The Central Title Block: At the top centre, bold collage typography spells out “MARINE & GREEN”, filled with photographic textures of sea and land, above the hand-lettered subtitle “COMMUNITY CHARTER”.

Three Core Charter Nodes: Branching outwards across the composition are hand-drawn bubbles organising the charter’s main action headings and direct community pledges:

OUR WATERS & SEA (Marine): Encompasses sub-headings for Litter Free Beaches (e.g., "Always pick up litter, never walk past plastic", "Join a beach clean when you can"), Clean Drains Safe Oceans (e.g., "Only flush the 3 Ps: Poo, Pee, Paper", "Keep chemicals out of sinks & drains"), and Safe Rivers for Wildlife (e.g., "Keep pets out of streams straight after medical treatments").

EVERYDAY GREEN LIVING: The central trunk branching into Eat Greener ("Eat more homegrown", "Enjoy more local, seasonal, plant-based"), Save Energy ("Switch off lights", "Shorter showers", "Lower power usage"), Choose Wisely ("Buy second-hand", "Reduce single-use plastic", "Consume less, create more"), and Travel Kindly ("Walk, cycle, catch the bus", "Leave the car behind").

OUR LAND & NATURE (Green): Encompasses sub-headings for Healthy Places for Life ("Create spaces for animals to rest, nest & recover safely", "Accept untidy wild zones"), Wildlife & Bug Welcome ("Plant local trees", "Grow native flowers", "Create insect hotels"), and Chemical Free Gardens ("Ditch toxic pesticides & weedkillers", "Safeguard the soil & visiting creatures").

Poetic Micro-Pledges: Dotted around the collage panels are single-word intentions, including replenish, defend, balance, nurture, resilience, respect, cherish, and protect.

Agency, Hope, and Community Action

"Too often, people feel powerless in the face of global climate anxieties," says Marketing and Creative Director, Tara Greifenberg. "This project recognises that lasting change starts from the bottom up. By capturing hundreds of pledges made at Sea Fest and online, this artwork turns personal promises into a bold, public declaration that every small daily action leads to lasting change."

SCCH Director Louise Cole added,

“We have been working for many years through a variety of community projects including our annual festival Sidmouth Sea Fest, to achieve our vision which is shaped by where we live and the themes that resonate in Sidmouth, to connect and engage people with the sea and coast in ways that value people and where we live. 

We have worked with the many amazing volunteer ‘green groups’ that are active in our town, to keep raising awareness of the environmental issues that concern us.  We are so grateful for the hundreds of local people who have shaped the charter.  Our hope is that it provides more evidence and inspiration for people not to be discouraged but to act positively to look after our green and blue spaces.  We are presenting the charter to our local authorities and to our MP, who is also a great advocate for the environment, to help make our voices heard.  The power of our collective community voice sends a message up stream to decision makers that policy making at local and national levels must address at a macro level, the issues we face locally.”

Twin Marine and Green Charter installations are coming soon to Sidmouth’s telephone box artspaces in the Market Square which will further explore the pledges that were inspired by the project.

Find out more Marine and Green Community Charter | Sidmouth School Of Art

The project is delivered by Sidmouth Coastal Community Hub in partnership with Sidmouth School of Art, supported by funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.