Pages of the Sea events are taking place at four beaches in Cornwall and one beach in Devon from 12 noon on Sunday, November 11, Armistice Day, the 100th anniversary of the ending of the First World War.
Large-scale portraits of people from the First World War designed by sand artists Sand In Your Eye will be drawn into the sand on each beach and washed away as the tide comes in and everyone takes a moment to say a collective goodbye.
The Cornwall beaches are Porthmeor in St Ives, Perranporth, Looe and Porthcurno. The Devon beach is Saunton Sands.
The Eden Project, with support from The Lost Gardens of Heligan, is leading commemorative events at Porthmeor Beach, East Looe Beach, Perranporth Beach and Saunton Sands. There will also be events at Porthcurno Beach near Land’s End where the National Trust is taking the lead.
These are among 32 beaches around the UK where the public is invited to assemble at low tide for an informal, nationwide gesture of remembrance for the men and women who left their home shores during 1914-1918. Pages of the Sea is the culmination of 14-18 NOW, the UK’s arts programme for the First World War centenary.
The public will be asked to join in by creating silhouettes of people in the sand, remembering the millions of lives lost or changed forever by the conflict.
Each of the beaches taking part will commemorate a different casualty and run community-based activities.
The portrait on Looe Beach will commemorate Captain Kenneth Walton Grigson. A Sea Scouts group will be performing songs and schoolchildren’s commemorative artwork will be displayed. Gig rowers will take to the sea and there will be a specially choreographed performance by East Looe Pioneers Running Club.