Together for Tomorrow is a creative climate project for Castle Point in South Essex. It embodies Estuary Festival’s mission to spark cultural engagement by bringing communities and artists together to explore sustainable futures through creative thinking, making and doing.

Led by Estuary Festival and Metal Southend, it explores how local residents can imagine and shape a greener, thriving future for their borough. 

Commissioned by Castle Point Borough Council, the project brings together residents, artists, community groups and climate action organisations to consider what a sustainable Castle Point could look like by the year 2050.

Across our earlier engagement work through This Is Us, one message came through loud and clear: communities want cleaner, greener and more accessible public spaces for everyone. Research such as the Essex Residents Survey also highlighted an opportunity to strengthen personal understanding of, and commitment to, climate action. Together for Tomorrow responds directly to these needs through creative activities designed to spark conversation, inspiration and change.

What’s happening?
Local community groups across Benfleet, Canvey Island, Hadleigh and Thundersley are working with commissioned artists to explore ideas including climate?positive habits and greener living, future community-led climate initiatives and what a thriving Castle Point in 2050 could look like.

Community voices at the heart
The project builds on a major community gathering held in October, which brought together over 40 representatives from local climate action groups for the first time. Artists Ewan Barr, Kelly Buckley, Tessa Hallmann and George Morgan visually documented the event, producing material that is now inspiring the workshops.

All creative work developed during the project will feed into a community-made guide, filled with ideas, artworks, practical suggestions, climate pledges and visions for the future, and a trail of display panels located across Castle Point, sharing the voices, images and ideas gathered through the workshops.

Artists and groups involved

Sally Chinea with Draw N Chatter
Artist Sally Chinea is working with ‘Draw N Chatter’, who meet weekly at HOFS for peer support with mental health and wellbeing through creativity. Sally is working with the group to contribute to a new eco, upcycled community garden being developed by HOFS. Through an artist-led workshop the group have created elements of the design and contributed to the wider programme of work which has involved clearing, tidying and regreening the car park, building pallet seat planters, planting bulbs and trees. Read more about the project here

Jacqueline Johnson with Jotmans Hall Primary School 
Artist Jacqueline Johnson led creative workshops with 85 5-7-year-old pupils, exploring their local environment and inspiring each child to make a personal pledge for a greener future.

Sylak Ravenspine with Buglife 'Walk the Wick' group
Artist Sylak Ravenspine led a creative workshop and guided walk ‘What Winter Leaves Behind: Impressions of Canvey Wick’. 17 participants handcrafted their own recycled pattern book and took eco-ink impressions of wild textures from Canvey Wick Nature Reserve using handmade clay.

Hollie Hughes with Yellow Door youth club 
Young people attending holiday club sessions at Yellow Door are making graphic novels with published author Hollie Hughes linking with their youth work specialism in illustration.

Laura Johnson with Trust Links
Two hands-on 'Boro' mindful stitching workshops with recycled textile artist Laura Johnson will guide participants to create a textile piece using traditional running stitches, exploring the history, philosophy, composition, and future creative uses for this meditative Japanese craft.

Graham Harwood with Benfleet Yacht Club
Artists Graham Harwood and Gero Gnecchi will gather and share the lived knowledge, stories and environmental observations of Benfleet Yacht Club members, revealing how local people navigate, understand and care for Benfleet Creek and the wider estuary.

Pearl Schreiber with Adventures in Art
Artist Pearl Schreiber is an art facilitator based at JCOC Educational Foundation on Canvey Island. Pearl is leading an arts programme with a group of girls from the Jewish community who have called themselves ‘Artistic Adventures’.

Get involved / Find out more
Sign up to the Estuary Festival email newsletter and follow us on social media for updates on the project including exhibition details.

Image credits: Sylak Ravenspine 'What Winter Leaves Behind' workshop photograph by Amber Merry. Sally Chinea tree planting with Draw N Chattter photograph by Sally Chinea