Artist Commissions
Tessa Bunney and Stevie Ronnie
With partner Stronger Shores
South Tyneside
Family Friendly
Free Event
About
What lies beyond the water’s edge? Discover the hidden wonders of our essential coastal ecosystems in this outdoor photography exhibition.
Photographer Tessa Bunney and writer Stevie Ronnie will collaborate with Stronger Shores, a DEFRA-funded Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme initiative led by South Tyneside Council. They will work with communities in the North East to shed light on how hidden habitats beneath the waves – such as seagrass meadows, kelp forests, and oyster reefs – can help reduce erosion, stabilise shorelines, and support wildlife. Developed with community groups Horden Together, Creative Seed and Sisters of Shields from a series of site-specific workshops, the project will culminate in an outdoor photography exhibition and a co-produced booklet featuring original writing, poetry, and photography.
Through stunning photography, this project offers a visual journey into the heart of these unique coastal landscapes. The experience culminates in an inspiring outdoor exhibition, showcasing breathtaking images of these underwater worlds. A beautifully crafted booklet, featuring original creative writing and photography, also invites readers to connect with the coastal narratives that unite us all.
Tessa Bunney is a renowned photographer with over 30 years of experience capturing rural life. She has worked closely with individuals and communities to explore how human activity shapes the landscape. From documenting hill farmers in North Yorkshire to Icelandic puffin hunters, Romanian nomadic shepherds to Lincolnshire flower farmers, her projects reveal the intricate dependencies between people, work, and the land.
Recent works include Made out of Orchards, commissioned, published, and exhibited by the Martin Parr Foundation, and Going to the Sand, an ongoing personal project in collaboration with Morecambe Bay fishermen, published by Another Place Press in 2023. Tessa's work offers a unique, compelling perspective on the intersections of nature, culture, and labor.
Many areas are threatened by flooding, erosion and storms and climate change will only make this worse. If we do nothing, habitats and communities could suffer. Stronger Shores is turning to the hidden habitats below the waves – seagrass meadows, kelp forests and oyster reefs – for a solution. Covering the North Sea coastline from Lindisfarne in Northumberland to Skinningrove in Redcar and Cleveland, we are working with experts to learn how these habitats: reduce erosion; stabilise shorelines; and support wildlife. Trialling these practical, value-for-money actions now will save money later.
This project, which is led by South Tyneside Council, is funded by Defra as part of the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programmes which is managed by the Environment Agency. The programmes will drive innovation in flood and coastal resilience and adaptation to a changing climate. You can find out more about this programme by clicking here.