Ephemeral Landscapes; Redefining Public Spaces

In June 2021, as the world was just beginning to reconnect, I created Little Waterfronts as a way to bring art directly to the people of Hartlepool. Funded by the Cultural Recovery Fund, this one-off program captured the heart of the Waterfront Festival in a series of surprise, small-scale events that invited the community to rediscover joy and creativity in unexpected places. Each “Little Waterfront” moment was crafted to be accessible and spontaneous, celebrating Hartlepool’s vibrant community through pop-up outdoor art.

Artistic Vision and Outdoor Experiences
Inspired by the playful spontaneity of the Happenings movement and the experimental spirit of the Gutai Group, I wanted Little Waterfronts to create unplanned encounters with art that felt joyful and meaningful. The goal was to offer the community a chance to experience creativity in unexpected places, turning everyday locations into sites of wonder. Centered around themes of renewal and rediscovery, each event was crafted with tarot-inspired designs by Tees Valley illustrators. Highlights included The Mixtape, which played music by local artists from lamppost speakers along Church Street, creating a live soundtrack for the town’s streets. To extend the experience, we also produced a free CD of The Mixtape playlist, which was later distributed at the main festival, allowing attendees to take a piece of the experience home with them. Another memorable installation saw the Victorian Ward Jackson Park transformed by beloved drag artists, Bonnie and the Bonnettes, whose pop-up lip-sync performances turned the park into an open-air cabaret, inviting passersby to enjoy the art in a relaxed, joyful setting.

Lasting Connections
One of the most rewarding elements of Little Waterfronts was the opportunity to make the community part of the art itself. In The Dreamers, for instance, a group of year 8 students worked with local performer Victoria Jackson to bring a mythical creature of their own creation to life, culminating in a public display that let their imaginations shine. This approach not only brought new voices into the spotlight but created a sense of shared ownership over the festival, making Little Waterfronts as much about the people as it was about the art.

Legacy of Little Waterfronts

Little Waterfronts was designed to be a light in challenging times—a way to rekindle connections and remind us of the joy in shared, spontaneous experiences. This program showed me the profound power of smaller-scale outdoor arts to bring people together, offering moments of joy and reconnection that could meet people exactly where they were. The intimate, surprise nature of each event invited audiences to experience their own town in new ways, shifting perceptions of familiar spaces and highlighting the unique value of public art.

Artist Credits -

The Women by Mille Thomas;
The Drag Queens by Bettie Hope;
The Party by Lizzie Lovejoy