Between Land and Tide

All Photo Credit: Olana Light

by Olana Light

Between Land and Tide is a public art project by Olana Light that transforms public spaces through unexpected encounters with large-scale wearable sculpture live performance across Portsmouth.

Inspired by the sea, tidal ecosystems, and Portsmouth’s coastal landscape, the project features sea-born female guardians merging with a monumental starfish sculpture created from natural and sustainable materials. Through movement and performance, bodies become part of the landscape, shifting between human and sea-like forms.

The project explores themes of connection, environmental fragility, and our relationship with the ocean, inviting audiences to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the natural world.

Alongside public performances, Between Land and Tide includes workshops, exhibitions, and community activities across Portsmouth.

Performance Schedule:

16 August 2026
Victoria Park - 12:00

22 August 2026
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard - 12:00 and 14:00

6 September 2026
Hotwalls Studios - 12:00

19 September 2026
Southsea Beach - 11:00

27 September 2026
Palmerston Road - 12:00

Exhibitions:

15 August 10:00 - 15:00

The Green House Victoria Park Portsmouth

16 August 13:00 - 15:00

Victoria Park Portsmouth

Round Tower Hotwalls Studios

5 September 11:00 - 16:00

6 September 13:00 - 16:00

Art Space Portsmouth

20 November - 4 December 10:00 - 15:00

Supported using public funding by Arts Council England through a National Lottery Project Grant, with additional support from Portsmouth City Council, Portsmouth Creates, and partner organisations across Portsmouth.

Partners include Art Space Portsmouth, Hotwalls Studios, Fratton Together, City Arts Portsmouth, Victoria Park Portsmouth, Sustainable Conservation Trust, and Portsmouth Historic Quarter.

Performance Credits:

Performers:

Anna Barzotti

Caroline Broadbent / Maud Dean

Jo Rose

Kate Jones

Olana Light

Ruth Goldwyn

Choreographer: Kate Jones

Sound: Olana Light

Sound Mentor: Emily Peasgood

Videography:

Solent Sky Services

Olana Light

Acknowledgements:
A heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers who have generously contributed their time, energy, and support to this project. Your involvement has made this work possible

Community Workshops

Alongside the live performances and large-scale sculpture, Between Land and Tide includes creative workshops inviting communities to engage with the themes of the project through making.

Participants are invited to create their own starfish using pre-cut hessian shapes and a variety of natural materials. Inspired by the monumental starfish sculpture featured in the performance, the workshop offers a hands-on opportunity to explore creativity while reflecting on our connection with the sea, coastal environments, and the natural world.

Open to all ages and abilities, the workshops encourage imagination, conversation, and shared experiences.

15 August 10:00 - 12:00 and 13:00 - 15:00

Victoria Park Portsmouth

Publication:

The Conversation, Between Land and Tide: giant starfish washes up in Portsmouth in this apocalyptic performance art, Matt Smith