September's Great British Beach Clean at Gibraltar Point kickstarted an exciting art project at the reserve, with several opportunities for visitors to get involved in the coming months.

Lincolnshire artist Mark Steadman is leading two collaborative multi-stage activities between now and Easter 2024, culminating in an exhibition and art installation.

During the beach clean last month, the volunteers who came to help were asked to look out for any particularly interesting pieces of litter, or those that appealed to them for any reason, and to flag them up in situ. They were then photographed within the environment where they were found, measured and 'excavated' from the sand as though they were potential treasures in an archaeological dig.   

"We carefully excavated and recorded them in a way that intentionally imitates archaeological and museum processes," Mark explained. "It might seem like an odd thing to do. I can tell you that it certainly felt counterintuitive doing it! But the idea is to see what happens when we take something that is considered worthless and problematic and treat it as if it were cherished, valued and imbued with meaning.

"One family found a flip-flop identical to one lost by a family member at Skegness several years before. Another participant was fascinated by the calcareous marine worm encrustations and tiny barnacles that had colonised a blue plastic bottle inside and out. Some items we found provide evidence of how the erosion of dunes can release historical litter into the seas and beaches, like white fairy liquid bottles that date from 1950-2000. Other objects speak to the long and fascinating history of the reserve itself, like the pieces of barbed wire from the Second World War."

The total rubbish collected on the day weighed an impressive 183kg. That haul also included three strip light bulbs, part of a toilet, a razor handle, a couple of tyres, bits of clothing, shoes, tennis balls, balloons, the odd bucket, rope and fishing buoys.

The pieces that were selected as artefacts will be cleaned up, some perhaps preserved, drawn and labelled, and ultimately displayed in an exhibition at Gibraltar Point around Easter next year. The museum-style collection may even go on tour at a later date.

The remaining rubbish will be sifted through by Mark, who will identify any he can use for the second part of the project - creating little tern sculptures from litter found at the reserve where these rare shorebirds continue to breed, often against the odds. 

"Litter Terns will be an installation of a flock of little terns made out of the plastic waste collected during the litter picks. The installation aims to highlight the vital work done at Gibraltar Point in safeguarding the breeding colony of the iconic little tern at the reserve," Mark explained. "Work taking place in an area which during the breeding season is cordoned off from public access and largely hidden from view."

Both strands of Mark's stint as artist in residency at Gibraltar Point are intended to involve as many people as possible, whether it is in litter picking, helping to excavate specific pieces, assisting with the creation of the sculptures, visiting the exhibition or enjoying seeing the completed 'litter terns' in the grounds near the Visitor Centre. Please keep an eye on our 'What's on' section and the Gibraltar Point Facebook page for details of when and how you can be part of the project's development.

"Thinking in more creative ways about plastic waste may well better equip us to deal with this huge global problem just as taking time to study the litter found on the beach can play an important role in lessening the issue," Mark said. "Surveys conducted for the Marine Conservation Society during litter picks have helped to inform national policy and change our habits. 

"Perhaps one day in the future we will no longer make virgin plastic. Maybe then we will instead excavate landfill sites and trawl the seas in search of the valuable resource to supply post-consumer recycling?"