VIDEO: Colourful mural showcases Worthing's marine life

A new 25 metre mural, depicting Worthing's varied marine life, celebrates the fishing heritage of the town.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Sep 2017, 18:34 BST
Updated 27th Sep 2017, 11:52 BST
Marine life depicted on the muralMarine life depicted on the mural
Marine life depicted on the mural

The colourful artwork, located in the grounds of Splashpoint Leisure Centre, was officially unveiled today (Thursday, September 21).

The mural is part of a lottery funded project, The Last Fisherman Standing, which aims to re-engage the community with Worthing's fishing roots.

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Anne Thwaites, director of FoodPioneers CIC, which runs the The Last Fisherman Standing, said: “It’s great that this wonderful piece of art will become a feature element of the Last Fisherman Standing's legacy to the town."

Marine life depicted on the muralMarine life depicted on the mural
Marine life depicted on the mural

According to Anne, the last fulltime fishermen stopped working on Worthing’s beach in 2015.

She said of the fishing industry: "It's part of how Worthing was started as a settlement.

"It's one of the most ancient industries in the town and we are about to lose it.

"As a town, we don't have enough connection with the sea.

The mural was created by artists Jane Laurie and Frankie Strand.The mural was created by artists Jane Laurie and Frankie Strand.
The mural was created by artists Jane Laurie and Frankie Strand.
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"So we are trying to restore that connection and trying to get people to engage more with the beach and the sea."

Anemones, shore crabs and dog fish - part of the shark family - are some of the examples of the seasonal fish and other marine life that can be caught off the coast of Worthing.

They are among the creatures included in the mural, which was created by London artists Jane Laurie and Frankie Strand.

Jane said: “This was a great piece to be working on and it’s amazing that everyone will be able to enjoy it long after we’ve finished painting.”

At the unveiling of the new muralAt the unveiling of the new mural
At the unveiling of the new mural
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Duncan Anderson, chief executive of South Downs Leisure, said the mural was 'incredible'.

A miniature version of the mural will also be printed as a fish ID sheet to be shared out to local schools and visitors to Worthing.

The Last Fisherman Standing was awarded £95,000 in lottery funding to run a two year scheme.

Events run by the scheme have so far included a beach barbeque, where more than 100 attendees were taught how to gut and cook fish, and school trips to the beach to learn about fishing.

Marine life depicted on the muralMarine life depicted on the mural
Marine life depicted on the mural

"It's been really exciting," Anne said.

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Visit www.lastfishermanstanding.org.uk to find out about other events and to explore Worthing's fishing history.

For more information about We Are FoodPioneers CIC, visit http://www.foodpioneers.org.uk.

Related topics:London