Words by Smiley Team
Sand art is being created by a dedicated team of activists to raise awareness of climate change and eradicate racism across Wales’ Pembrokeshire coastline.
It all began a little over a year ago, when the government announced they were going to reopen a derelict Army Training camp near Tenby as accommodation for asylum seekers. The unheated, war-time blocks had been deemed too terrible for soldiers to stay in for two-week training courses. But they were seen as sufficient to cram in a few hundred vulnerable people fleeing war and persecution, for months on end, at the height of the pandemic, and in the depths of a cold, damp winter.
In Pembrokeshire, amazingly, lots of people rallied together to support their new neighbours with practical needs, as well as campaigning with them for better conditions. One of the earliest experiences was to create sand art in Tenby to raise awareness.
(Read more about solutions to climate change here)
Lead volunteer Hannah explains: “I volunteered to help, even though I’d never made sand art before. It was an amazing experience: creating something so dramatic with such simple tools - just using a rake, a soft brush, our own feet and the materials around us.
“The response was stunning, too. You’d be amazed at how many people came out of their way to offer words of encouragement and appreciation. We even got a round of applause at the last piece we did.”
Alongside another volunteer, Hannah decided to continue making sand art, which puts a smile on people’s faces, while also subtly raising awareness about important societal issues. Under the name ‘Choose Love Tenby’, they’ve continued to make pieces to support anti-racism, encourage people to be kind, and raise awareness about climate change.
The pieces have been sculpted on the beaches of Tenby, as well as other Pembrokeshire beaches, including Freshwater West.
"I’m surrounded by water in almost all directions: the Bristol Channel to the south and east, the Atlantic to the west, and the sprawling Milford Haven waterway to the North," says Hannah. "When you live in this part of Pembrokeshire, the coastline is a constant companion, with glorious beaches in every direction.”
Sometimes the pieces are single ones, then other times they form a pair of works on two consecutive days. For example, last year, there was one saying ‘Peace on Earth’ and another saying ‘Goodwill to all Men’ on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
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Hannah adds: “We’ve got a lot better, and quicker, at making the art as we’ve gone along. Our first piece took over four hours. But now, we usually just take a couple of hours. If the tide is against us, we’ve even been known to create something magical in as little as thirty minutes.
“We’d barely finished a recent design highlighting sea level rises ahead of COP26 before the sea was lapping at the edges – it really brought home the urgency of the action needed.
“We’re so inspired by how well they’re received and what a difference they make to people (so many smiling faces!) that we’re hatching a plan to make art on every beach in Pembrokeshire. There are nearly 90 beaches here - on average that’s one every two miles of our 186 mile Coast Path. Throw in that some are only accessible by boat or after a decent walk, and it’s quite a mission. We think it might take us a couple of years.”
You can follow Choose Love Tenby here and see examples of their work here.
