Beach of Dreams:
A UK-wide Coastal Arts Festival
Join us for the Finale in September
Beach of Dreams, presented by Kinetika, is an open invitation to celebrate and reimagine the UK’s coastlines. Spanning Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, our 2025 outdoor and digital creative programme has connected communities to explore the rich heritage, vibrant culture, and urgent future of our coastal landscapes. It has offered a space to reflect on what our coastlines mean to us today – and what they could become tomorrow.
From creative walks and new artist commissions across eight regions to local events and Climate Commitments, thousands took part in shaping this UK-wide journey. And the story isn’t over yet.
The programme continues into September with a finale commission in Weymouth, Sonnet of Samsara with Activate Performing Arts, while individuals, groups, and organisations are still encouraged to share actions and reflections. Add your voice to a growing national story – one that celebrates the beauty of our coastlines, confronts the challenges they face, and inspires meaningful, collective action for a sustainable future.
The Creative Programme
From 1 May – 1 June 2025, Beach of Dreams brought together people across the UK to walk, reflect, and create – connecting deeply with the beauty, challenges, and stories of our coastlines.
Curated by Artistic Director Ali Pretty, the creative programme spanned the country, uniting commissioned artists, regional partners, and local communities. Together, they transformed climate concerns into thoughtful, place-based works of art – blending imagination with lived experience to reflect the spirit of our coastal landscapes.
From soundscapes and dance to sculpture and textiles, the programme showcased a vibrant mix of disciplines. At its heart stood The Beach of Dreams Silks – an evolving national artwork of hundreds of naturally dyed pennants. Each silk carried a personal dream for a specific place along the coast, woven into a shared expression of hope, memory, and future possibility.
The creative journey continues this September in Weymouth with Sonnet of Samsara, presented with Activate Performing Arts – the programme’s final commission. This multidisciplinary performance will draw on themes of impermanence, renewal, and transformation, offering a poetic culmination to the project while carrying its messages forward into new contexts and communities.
Various Beach of Dreams images. (c) Tessa Bunney, Jay Stone and South West Coast Path Association, Mike Johnston, Ali Pretty, Nigel Thompson and Brian Hartley
The History of Beach of Dreams
Beach of Dreams began in July 2021 with a 500-mile walk from Lowestoft to Tilbury, led by Artistic Director Ali Pretty and Kinetika. The journey invited participants to reflect on their connection to the coastline and imagine its future. Participants created 500 hand-painted silk pennants, each telling a story of the present and future, which were displayed along the walk and shared online.
In 2023, Kinetika, in collaboration with Rosa Productions and Morecambe Bay Partnership, expanded the project to Morecambe Bay, adding 120 new pennants and digital stories. The programme has since grown nationwide, uniting communities and inspiring hope for a sustainable future.
The Beach of Dreams Silks: The National Commission
Where does colour come from? The Beach of Dreams National Commission sits at the heart of the programme, exploring our connections with our coastlines and the significance of colour in the natural world.
A national artwork by Kinetika: The Beach of Dreams Silks is a dynamic and travelling silk installation composed of hundreds of naturally-dyed pennants, each representing a personal story that reflects our relationship with the coast and sea.
This evolving tapestry weaves together a rich narrative of hope and inspiration for our shared future. Visitors can view the installation as it journeys up and down the coastline, connecting communities and celebrating the diverse voices of those who have contributed. To date, over 600+ pennants have been created, showcasing the profound connections people have with their coastal environments.
Bay Lines – Beach of Dreams 2023, Walney Island, Image (c) Tessa Bunney
Note from writer, Kevin Rushby
“The beach is always the place where human life is exposed, with all its frailties, ambitions and dreams. On beaches we find sublime panoramas, but also all the rubbish that we had thrown away and hoped never to see again. With a brutal disregard for human sensitivities, the sands bear witness to our mistakes: the dead dolphin in a broken fishing net, the empty container with the skull and crossbones sticker, and the stricken seabirds marinated in crude oil.And somewhere high up in the dunes among the rare orchids and butterflies, there is often a wavy line of dried seaweed, like a hastily scribbled message from the sea, warning us of even higher tides to come.
This is a time of emergencies and crises and humans always think more clearly when walking.
It is when walking that lost treasures are spotted, and their value and meaning understood. Walking brings contact with people and time to talk.
The range and scope of people that will be drawn into Beach of Dreams is immense: scientists and artists, old and young, expert and amateur, all manner of people will make contact, fostering new ideas, opinions and partnerships.
In this context, and in these times, Beach of Dreams feels like the right thing to do. It is a walk that will bring vitality and colour to thousands of people, forging new connections and relationships that will develop hope and inspiration when most needed.”
– Kevin Rushby
