Forth Ports announces their support for the national Beach of Dreams coastal arts festival taking place in May. Forth Ports, which operates ports in Scotland and in Tilbury in London, hosted the national launch of the festival in their London Cruise terminal on the banks of the Thames earlier this month and now, they are supporting the roll out of an artist-led programme of community engagement across Fife working with a number of local schools and community groups in the region.

Beach of Dreams, presented by Kinetika, is a UK-wide coastal arts festival activating and exploring the unique heritage, cultures and climate futures of our coastlines which will see ambitious new participatory art commissions, creative walks and events taking place across the country during May.

Working with schools in Kirkcaldy, Burntisland, Rosyth and Methil artist Julie Brook alongside the FifeArtMatters and Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, will create Tide Line, a striking 100-metre tidal sculpture shaped by the rhythms of the Fife coastline and built with local communities using natural materials.

Workshops with schools and community groups will bring people into the creative process, while a 14-day journey along the 117-mile Fife Coastal Path with Fife Coast and Countryside Trust – from Kincardine to St Andrews – will connect participants and groups through walking, cycling, and creative events.

The commission culminates in a moving performance and choral work, created in collaboration with composer Jay Capperauld, poet Niall Campbell, and choreographer Rosemary Lee OBE – echoing the rhythm of the tides.

Commenting on the project, Stuart Wallace, CEO of Forth Ports said: “We are excited to support the Beach of Dreams project nationally and particularly in Fife in the coastal communities where we work. It is not often that a national project like this spans a number of our locations in Scotland and in Tilbury and it shows our group commitment to this project.

“We are looking forward to collaborating with Kinetika again, as well as Julie Brook, ArtMovesFife and the Fife Coast and Countryside Trust to deliver this inspirations project which will showcase the unique coastline of Fife.”

Ali Pretty, Artistic Director, Beach of Dreams and Kinetika said: “It’s incredibly energising to have the continued support of Forth Ports as Beach of Dreams has grown across the UK. Their commitment – from Tilbury to Leith and now into Fife – enables us to root the project within communities and schools, where young people are central to reimagining our coastal futures. What’s unfolding along the Fife coastline is truly extraordinary: communities becoming co-creators in a powerful, collective journey to shape a shared vision for the future of our coasts.”

19 May 2025                                              – ends –