Sea Change
Sea Change is a multi-year project working with artists in two coastal towns to develop plans for how communities need to transform in response to climate change.
Sea Change – Buckie project page
Sea Change – Montrose project page
Upcoming events
Montrose
- No events currently available to book, check back soon!
Buckie
- People’s Emergency Briefing Screening: 1 July 5-9pm Fishermen’s Hall
- Hope, the inflatable whale: 4 July 11am-3.30pm Fishermen’s Hall
- Seaweed printmaking with Macduff Aquarium: 23 July 12pm-4pm (including beach clean) at Strathlene Beach and 25 July 9am-12pm (just printmaking with no beach clean) at Buckie Library
- What If? events: 30 September – 9 December 3-6pm at Buckie Library
Visit the Sea Change – Buckie and Sea Change – Montrose Facebook pages for more information.
What if Montrose… cards filled out by project participants in Montrose. Credit: Eve Mosher.
About the project
Sea Change: Co-creating coastal futures is a multi-year, action-research project running until June 2027. We are working with local artists to help two coastal communities – Montrose and Buckie – develop ways of responding to climate change in their area and influencing decisionmakers. Culture for Climate Scotland is leading the project in partnership with NatureScot, the Scottish Government Marine Directorate and the Open University, with funding from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and NatureScot.
Scotland’s remarkable coastline is home to many kinds of communities, from fishing villages, some of which retain their identity despite now being part of cities, to remote island settlements. Climate change strongly impacts these coastal communities – through sea level rise, land loss, use of the sea for renewables, changes in the fishing industry and more – so they need a plan for a just transition to a sustainable future.
Sea Change is designed to bring together communities, artists and decisionmakers across various spheres to provide the evidence needed to help make the case for interdisciplinary arts-climate work and increase its influence at a systemic and policy level. The process will involve working with local communities, anchor organisations and embedded artists in Montrose and Buckie, locations that will be heavily affected by climate change.
Montrose is a town heavily affected by climate change and the transition to net zero, and vulnerable to coastal erosion and flooding. Buckie has many people working in industries related to fishing and offshore oil and gas that will see significant change through the transition to renewables and efforts to protect marine habitats.
Artists will use creative practices and run creative events and activities with the community to build understanding of how climate change is affecting the area and what a just transition might look like in that specific context. Learning will be mutual, providing opportunities for the community to better understand the opportunities for them offered by just transition planning, and opportunities for decisionmakers to learn from the lived experience and local expertise of participants.
Overall, the project will empower the communities to advocate for and enact a just transition in their area, improve understanding of how arts and culture can contribute to just transition planning, and develop decisionmakers’ support for community-led arts-based work on climate change. Outputs will include creative work and activities, community-owned just transition plans, learning and sharing events, and detailed evaluation.
Ceramic tiles made by Mud Club participants in Buckie. Credit: Gabby Morris.
Project locations and partners
Montrose
The Sea Change Artist in Montrose is Eve Mosher.
Eve Mosher works at the intersection of climate change and imagination. She has developed tools for tapping into imagination and creativity to help communities tell their own story of tomorrow.
The Montrose partnership is a collective of organisations involved in the Sea Change project in Montrose.
ANGUSalive is the culture, sport and leisure trust for the county of Angus.
Angus Climate Hub is a community climate hub funded by the Scottish Government that helps the people and nature of Angus thrive.
Montrose Community Trust is a charity that utilises the power and widespread appeal of football to inspire change.
Montrose Playhouse Project is a community owned three-screen cinema and art centre with café bar, activity spaces and retail area.
ProMo: Montrose Development & Improvement CIC is a group of locals who have come together following the Angus Council Charette to try and bring about the revival of Montrose Town Centre.
The PoP shop venue on Montrose High Street where Sea Change Labs are taking place. Credit: Eve Mosher.
Buckie
The Sea Change Artist in Buckie is Gabby Morris.
Gabby Morris works creatively across Scotland at the intersection of climate change, the environment, coastal futures and collective imagination. Her work focuses on creating experiential, imaginative and engaging ways for people to explore what coastal futures might look and feel like.
The Buckie partnership is a collective of organisations involved in the Sea Change project in Buckie.
Buckie Area Forum brings together representatives from local community organisations and local residents to tackle issues which have been identified through local consultation. The Forum runs The Hub, which provides space and a wide range of services to the local community.
Findochty and Buckie Development Trust is a community-owned and led organisation which uses a combination of enterprise and creativity to improve the quality of life for people living in the Findochty and Buckie area.
Findhorn Bay Arts is an award-winning arts producer making creative things happen across Moray and beyond.
Moray Climate Action Network (Moray CAN) is a network of groups, organisations and individuals working together to tackle climate change in Moray.
tsiMORAY connects and supports Moray’s third sector. It supports charities, community groups and social enterprises by helping them access funding, learn and grow volunteering.
Badges made at a pop-up stall in Buckie. Credit: Gabby Morris.
Project activity
For the latest project updates directly from the Sea Change artists, follow the Sea Change – Montrose and Sea Change – Buckie Facebook pages.
- May 2026 – Montrose final imagination lab with the theme ‘Montrose Tomorrow’. Line in the Sand event held on Montrose beach. Workshop held with Marine Directorate staff in Edinburgh.
- April 2026 – Second project-wide workshop takes place in Buckie. Montrose imagination lab with the theme ‘Montrose Thriving’
- March 2026 – Buckie mural project starts, with workshops working towards creating murals in summer 2026, ‘Future Buckie’ workshop held at Fishermen’s Hall. Montrose imagination lab with the theme ‘Montrose Connecting’. Beach clean event in Ferryden. Sea Change project features in Scottish Government Environment Strategy.
- February 2026 – Montrose monthly Imagination Labs start, continuing until May. The first lab has the theme of ‘Montrose Today’
- January 2026 – Buckie mud club commences, continuing until May
- December 2025 – Montrose: More PoP Shop dates, the first gathering of creative practitioners in the local area. Buckie: Hosted a partners’ planning session and participated in another Fishermen’s Hall pop-up.
- November 2025 – Montrose: PoP Shop takeover and attending local gatherings to invite people to contribute their ‘What if Montrose…’ ideas. Buckie: Pop-ups at the Fishermen’s Hall, working on youth engagement and creating ‘What if’ postcards, inspired by what Buckie might look like in 2045.
- October 2025 – Baselining workshop in Montrose with all project and location partners, exploring the future of the project including outcomes and evaluation.
- September 2025 – Local project launch events in Montrose and Buckie.
- September 2025 – Gabby Morris appointed as Sea Change Artist – Buckie.
- July 2025 – Eve Mosher appointed as Sea Change Artist – Montrose.
- June 2025 – Buckie selected as a project location.
- April 2025 – Montrose selected as a project location.
- March 2025 – Project commences.
Participants at a creative activity at the PoP shop. Credit: Eve Mosher.
This page will be updated regularly with more information as the project develops.
For further information, please contact [email protected].
The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is an international foundation promoting the development of individuals and organisations through art, science, education, and charity, for a more equitable and sustainable society. Based in London, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation UK Branch contributes to the Foundation’s mission for a more equitable and sustainable society using our networks, experience and way of working. The branch works internationally with partners in the UK, Portugal and beyond to increase access to culture and engagement on climate action and ocean protection.
Formerly known as Scottish Natural Heritage, NatureScot is the only organisation that looks after all aspects of nature in Scotland, across all parts of Scotland (land and sea) on behalf of everyone who lives in or visits Scotland. Our role is to care for nature and landscapes in Scotland, help deliver health and well-being for people living in or visiting Scotland, look after a vital natural asset that supports the Scottish economy and help address climate change and biodiversity loss.
