Sometimes the most meaningful conversations happen away from conference rooms and lecture theatres.
Earlier this month, I was invited by artist Laura Callaghan and Sussex Bay to take part in Stories of the Bay – an evening held as part of Laura’s What the Water Gave Us exhibition celebrating World Oceans Day. Rather than talks or presentations, the event brought together people with different relationships to the Sussex coast to share stories, memories and objects connected to the sea.
The evening unfolded gently.
Around the room, people spoke about family traditions, childhood memories, treasured objects, places of belonging and moments of loss. Stories were stitched, drawn, painted and written into a collaborative artwork that slowly grew throughout the evening, creating a shared map of our collective relationships with the coast.
I was invited to help open the event by sharing a small part of my own story.
For me, that story began with my dad. Growing up, he spent countless hours fishing along the Sussex coast, and one of the few photographs I have of him at sea became the starting point for my contribution. Alongside it, I brought my GoPro camera, which has accompanied me through so much of my PhD research, capturing joyful moments alongside blind and visually impaired participants as they experienced open water swimming together.
Both objects tell different parts of the same story: one about where my own connection with water began, and the other about where that connection has since taken me.
What struck me most throughout the evening was the generosity in the room.
People listened with care. They spoke with honesty. They trusted strangers with deeply personal memories, and in doing so created a space where everyone else felt able to do the same. It reminded me that research does not always begin with questions or end with findings. Sometimes it begins with stories, shared experiences and the willingness to simply listen.
The evening also brought together an inspiring mix of artists, community organisations, environmental advocates, researchers and local residents, all connected by a shared commitment to healthier, cleaner, more accessible and more inclusive blue spaces.
As my own research increasingly moves beyond academia and into communities, policy and practice, evenings like this feel especially important. They remind us that knowledge is created in many different ways, and that art, storytelling and conversation can open doors that formal research sometimes cannot.
A huge thank you to Laura Callaghan and Sussex Bay for creating such a thoughtful and welcoming space. I’m looking forward to seeing how the collaborative artwork evolves, and where these conversations continue to flow next.
