SUMMER 2026
Phase Two
Rolling out the sails across the landscape & programme of events
about phase two
In Phase Two multiple sails will be made (based on the Phase One prototype) and installed at locations across the North Somerset Levels.
These Phase Two sails will are planned to go up from June to August 2026, depending on funding and permissions. A more detailed plan for Phase Two will emerge out of the activities carried out during Phase One.
Set in this flat landscape the sails will be seen from miles around by large numbers of people: from local roads, from the trains running on the mainline between the North and the South West, from along the Tickenham Ridge and the high ground to the south. The expansive views from elevated locations would constantly change as the atmospheric conditions shift and the sails move in the wind with the sharp white shapes caught in the sun. Right down on the Levels it would be an immersive installation with sails floating above the landscape in all directions.
More info to come…
An invitation to explore
Maps showing walking and cycling routes on minor roads and public rights of way between and through the sails will be made as part of the project. This will encourage people to explore the North Somerset Levels landscape up close while viewing the sculptures in the landscape. The maps will also include details about the project and information about the landscape in which the sails are set.
...discover
Flotilla is not just about the sails. It is more about the landscape that they are set in. The sail sculpture themselves could be seen as prompts, helping to draw people in to the landscape and look at it in new ways. By following the guided trails around the sails, locals and visitors are encouraged to discover the many aspects of the levels. This might include it’s its ecology, archaeology and how it functions as a working landscape today as well the things that can make it both vulnerable and resilient.
... and start conversations
The project as a whole, aims to start conversations and encourage audiences to explore the past, present and future of this unique landscape. As part of ‘Flotilla’, a series of events and public programmes will be developed, in collaboration with project partners, that explore the different themes raised. This will include workshops that allow participants to revision what this landscape could be and how it could work in the future. In particular, how it might be protected, adapted and transformed in the face of climate change.