Southend Sails, 2026
Southend-on-Sea, Essex
Southend Sails is a community-made textile artwork for Southend High Street, created with local people using recycled boat sails and silk remnants from Kinetika’s collection.
Led by artist Katrin Mountain, the project brings together people of all ages and backgrounds to design and create a large-scale public artwork shaped by lived experience, shared stories and life along the Thames Estuary. Through a series of open, accessible design and making sessions, participants explore ideas, learn simple textile techniques and work collaboratively towards a single, collective outcome.
At the heart of the project is one shared question:
What makes you feel like you’ve got the wind in your sails?
The finished artwork carries messages of hope, motivation and connection, reflecting the voices and creativity of those who took part. It is installed at Victoria Circus, outside the Odeon Cinema on Southend High Street, from 1 September to 22 October 2026.
Design and embroidery workshops took place at Create98, Brazilarte and Welcome to the UK, and with participants from Focal Point Gallery’s Blank Slate and Contemporary Elders programmes.
Southend Sails Workshop, 2026
Threads for Tomorrow Workshops, Kinetika Studios, 2025
Southend Sails continues this story of reuse, place and collective creativity, reflecting Kinetika’s long-term commitment to community-led making and environmentally conscious practice.
One of the recycled boat sails used in Southend Sails was donated by Neil Woodbridge, a local sailor from the Thames Estuary Yacht Club. Having travelled across the Thames Estuary for more than 20 years, the sail now begins a new chapter as part of the artwork on Southend High Street. Neil said:
“I was born in Southend and it was a real privilege to meet local people and artists who came together to make this wonderful piece. The sail has been all over the Thames Estuary, from the Pier to Canvey, to Queenborough in Kent for the past 20 years plus and now at its final resting place it’s recycled into an artwork on the High Street of the city. Marvellous!”
Southend Sails was commissioned by Southend-on-Sea City Council and funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The sails were sewn by Chris Henderson / Blue Marine.
Production: Michaela Freeman
A huge thank you to all the participants that took part in the Southend Sails project, which included Alison Barton, Alison Griffiths, Anju Rajan, Ann Mary, Carol Kitching, Claire Victory, Isla Barton (Red Hot Stitchers), Jane Sealy, Karla Mae Ignacio, Kim Saunders, Lorraine Gunn, Mary White, Mawadda Khalid, Penny Benge, Valerie Dines, Viv Mitchell, Members of the Welcome to the UK Charity, Blank Slate and Contemporary Elders groups.
Southend Sails installed at Victoria Circus, from 1 September – 22 October 2026.