What is ‘Sea Stories’?
‘Sea Stories’ is our exciting project which celebrates the voices of our coast.
It is dedicated to recording, preserving, and sharing the lived experience of Whitby’s coastline. At its heart are the voices of fishing families and wider coastal communities - people whose knowledge of the sea, the tides, and the changing marine environment has been passed down through generations but rarely captured in their own words.
Through recorded interviews, we're building a living archive that documents how coastal life has changed: shifting fishing practices, the impact of climate change and environmental pressures on local waters, the traditions and skills of fishing businesses, and the deep, often overlooked expertise that comes from a working relationship with the sea.
Where did the project come from?
The idea for Sea Stories grew from the town’s strong fishing heritage, and the repeating “boom and bust” cycles that fishing communities go through. We wanted to build on that heritage by celebrating and sharing local fishing stories in an authentic way, bringing the experiences of fishing families and communities to life. Importantly, we wanted to reflect the full picture of fishing life, including both its rewards and the challenges people have faced.
To turn the idea into a practical project, we worked with a fundraiser and spent time exploring what we wanted Sea Stories to achieve & how it could benefit the local community. These discussions helped shape the project, its aims and the activities we want to deliver. We then developed an application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which enabled us to turn those ideas into the Sea Stories project.
Want to get involved?
Sea Stories is about bringing people together to share and preserve the stories, memories and experiences connected with fishing and life at sea.
If you have a story to share, an idea for the project, or something you could contribute, we’d love to hear from you. You can get in touch through the comments/contact form on our Home page.
Whether you have a story, a photograph, a skill, a connection to the fishing community, or simply an idea, your contribution could help shape Sea Stories.
