Visitor Information

How do I take part in this artwork?

First There is a Mountain is free to visit and open to all. First There is a Mountain events are taking place on twenty-five beaches across the British Isles, including several Scottish islands, the Isles of Scilly, the Isle of Wight and Northern Ireland.

You can take part by joining in with transforming your local beach, or simply coming along to listen to the unique piece of writing that has been produced in response to your beach, and watch the mountains of sand being created.

We are working in partnership with a network of arts venues across the UK who can tell you more about what is taking place, when, and how to get involved.

If you are interested in taking part, visit the individual arts venue pages for information you can find contact emails for each of the venues here.

Each event has been carefully planned taking in a number of factors including the tide times, safety and capacity of the beaches.

Can any age group take part?

Yes. This is an artwork that is designed to be enjoyed by anyone regardless of age.

Do I have to sign up in advance or can I come along to the beach on the day?

The artwork is a limited public edition of ‘bucket and spade’ sets and each partner arts venue will run their event during a window of low tide. If you want to participate in transforming your beach by building sand mountains you need to contact your local arts venue in advance, as numbers will be restricted due to the number of available sets and timings of the events.

However if you want to be a spectator and watch the event unfold across your beach, simply come along.

How do I know where and when the event takes place on the beach?

Check the individual arts venue page for details of the meeting place and time or contact them directly.

How long does the event last?

The event length at each beach is dictated by the speed of the tides. Generally, events are expected to last between 1 and 3 hours.

What to expect on the day as a participant?

You will meet the partner arts venue at the agreed meeting point and time on the beach. The event will start with a brief introduction of the artwork, followed by a reading of the commissioned writing produced especially for your beach. You will then be invited to transform your beach into mountains of sand using the unique ‘bucket and spade’ sets that are scale models of world mountains. As the tide comes in, and the sand mountains submerge into the sea, the event will come to a close. It is very important you return your ‘bucket and spade’ sets back to the event organisers at the end so the artwork can be passed to the next leg of the UK tour.

What to wear and bring?

The ‘bucket and spade’ sets will be provided. You may need to show ID to the arts venue organisers in order for the sets to be released to you during the event.

Make sure you wear suitable footwear and clothes for varying weather conditions.

Will the events take place even if it’s poor weather?

Yes, all events will run even if it is wet and windy, unless the weather is considered a risk to public safety. Check social media on the day, before you leave, and the venue’s websites, as they will publish location updates.

Can I buy, or take away a ‘bucket and spade’ set at the end of the event?

No, unfortunately not. This is a public edition that needs to be passed to hundreds of participants during its tour across the UK. At the end of the tour the ‘bucket and spade’ sets will be composted, reabsorbed into the natural environment from which they were created.

What if I can’t make it to an event?

Keep watching this website and check social media to see images and footage unfold from each event across British Summertime 2019.

The unique piece of writing commissioned for each beach location will only be published after each event has taken place. The writings will slowly unfold over the duration of the project, building up a unique picture of the UK landscape. They will be available to download as an anthology at the project end, for your enjoyment and contemplation.

How do I share photos I have taken at the event?

After your visit, share your experience with us on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #firstthereisamountain