Exhilarating And Challenging European Arts Tour on the Way to its Final Destination – Skegness – on 25 September

There is just one week to go until a nine-day international arts festival, which has been on tour around Europe’s coastline for the last two years, reaches its final destination – Skegness.

The Black/North SEAS project opens in the UK on 25 September, bringing with it a core programme of 16 entertaining, exciting, challenging and thought-provoking events to one of the Britain’s best-loved coastal resorts.

Artists, actors and performers from across Europe will descend on Skegness, the home of Butlins and the Red Coats, to not only entertain people but also broaden horizons, challenge perceptions and beliefs and leave a legacy to help change the way people see Skegness for the better.

As well as the core programme of 16 acts, which includes The Kiss and Waste Project looking at the personal stories of women across the Black and North Seas and Suitcases a theatrical exploration of Bulgaria’s communist past, over 30 artists from across the East Midlands will come together to make Black/North SEAS one of the most exciting, vibrant, diverse and stereotype-challenging events the UK has ever seen.

Black/North SEAS was conceived by Swedish arts organisation, Intercult, with the help of funding from the European Union, and is coming to the UK thanks to East Lindsey District Council, Skegness Town Council, Lincolnshire County Council, the University of Lincoln and Arts Council England.

“This arts project is one of the most exciting, challenging and thought-provoking initiatives ever to be staged in the UK,” says Cllr Adam Grist, Portfolio Holder for Leisure at East Lindsey District Council. “People in Turkey, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Norway and Denmark have already hosted SEAS and were amazed by the events. Host communities thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment and businesses appreciated the influx of people from further afield.”

Cllr Grist added: “In Skegness, it is already provoking an informed discussion about the future of the town and creating a great deal of optimism for regeneration.”

Black/North SEAS set sail in 2008 and has visited Odessa, Istanbul, Mangalia and Varna on Europe’s Black Sea coastline and Helsingborg, Göteborg and Tromsø on the North Sea. Skegness was chosen as the tour’s final port of call due to the town’s similarities with the other locations.

“Skegness is a much loved seaside holiday town,” says Adam Jeanes, SEAS Project Director. “As such it was the natural choice for the British venue for Black/North SEAS. It has entertained visitors for over a hundred years but, like so many other European resorts, it is in competition with other destinations, it has an aging population; it faces coastal erosion and environmental problems and a general lack of on-going investment. Arts and cultural events like SEAS can play a role in raising profile, changing attitudes and opening new doors. Of course we realise that art alone can’t change the world, but we do believe that art can help the world to imagine change. So for nine days we invite Skegness to be entertained by us, just as Skegness has entertained so many in the past. With the generous support of Arts Council England it is our aim to leave a positive legacy of new ideas about how Skegness could develop in the future.”

In addition to 16 touring events, the involvement of over 90 UK artists and many other events involving schools, colleges and local groups, the Black/North SEAS programme also features a two-day conference, SeaScape on 1 and 2 October.

SeaScape will see over 100 MPs, planners, councillors, architects, artists and public sector officials focused on coastal regeneration schemes in the UK, funded through CABE’s Sea Change programme, and across the Black and North Seas coastal areas. Very different places with very similar issues, all seeking innovative ways to move forward and sell their unique position and strengths

Many of the SEAS events will be free, performed in public spaces so that as many people as possible can see them. Some events, staged in licenced premises, will be ticketed, with prices ranging from £5 to £10.

A full programme and further information are available from www.skegnessinternational.com or 01507 601111.

People interested in attending the SeaScape Conference should visit www.e-lindsey.gov.uk/SeaScape

-ENDS-

Issued on behalf of East Lindsey District Council by Lava. For further information contact Stuart, Becky, Louise, Lindsey or Matt at Lava on 01522 842 800 / stuart@lavapr.co.uk, matt@lavapr.co.uk.

To view all of Lava’s recent press releases or to sign up to receive them via RSS please visit http://www.lavapr.co.uk/press-releases or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lavapr