New Global Exhibition Highlights Threats to Our Ocean

Some of the world’s best-known illustrators, including Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler, have contributed to a new exhibition organised by the University of Worcester’s International Centre for the Picture Book in Society.

Sea Change is the latest venture from the Centre and is concerned with sustainability and promoting ocean literacy.

Over 400 artists from around the world, including Axel Scheffler, Jackie Morris, Roger Mello and Nicola Davies, have sent illustrated postcards to form an exhibition drawing attention to the growing threat to our ocean and seas.

The postcards have formed an international touring exhibition which opened at Nami Island, South Korea in 2022 and will next be shown at The Hive in Worcester from April 1st – 20th  before moving to BIB (Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava), which is a UNESCO sponsored event.

The Hive exhibition will feature recovered fishing nets and salvaged plastics donated by Ocean Recovery Project, who have helped develop the first UK system for processing fishing trawl nets.

Tobias Hickey, Course Leader in Illustration at the University and the curator of the exhibition, said: “We’re delighted to have so many entries from some of the best illustrators in the world to highlight this really important topic. Each postcard reflects the illustrator’s own personal views on ocean literacy and sustainability and highlights to us all that we need to do more to protect our planet.”

Mr Hickey said further activities with communities under threat from climate change are being planned as part of the project as the Sea Change exhibition makes its way around the world.

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