After capturing the sounds, stories and landscapes of the Solent in his recent album Songs from the Solent, Solent Seascape Artist in Residence Richard Walters is returning for a second phase of his residency.
Supported by further funding from the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme (ELSP) and with additional support from the Blue Marine Max Stenbeck Legacy Programme, the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter will build on the success of the project, exploring new ways to celebrate the region’s unique culture, communities and marine environment.
Released earlier this year, Songs from the Solent brings together music, storytelling and conservation to shine a spotlight on one of the UK’s most important seascapes. Now, Richard is expanding that work, creating new artistic experiences inspired by the habitats, heritage and people that make the Solent so special.
Bringing the Solent’s stories to life
One of the first projects in the extended residency will see Richard collaborate with a University of Portsmouth graduate to create an animation for Lanterns Part 1, the haunting and atmospheric track narrated by Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons.
Later this year, Songs from the Solent will head out into the communities that inspired it. A series of performances will take place in schools and community venues across the region, giving local audiences the chance to experience the music close to the locations that shaped its creation.
Working alongside Calshot Activities Centre, the project will also host a lantern-making workshop for local children and families. The handmade lanterns will then become part of the tour itself, helping to transform the performance space and connect local communities directly with the project.
Inspiration beneath the waves
As part of the residency, Richard has already taken to the water with Isle of Wight-based marine biologist Theo Vickers in search of inspiration for new material.
He hopes the experience will form the basis of a brand-new song featuring underwater recordings captured using a hydrophone, allowing listeners to hear the hidden soundscape beneath the Solent’s waves and bringing them closer than ever to the underwater world that Solent Seascape is helping to recover.
New interpretations and collaborations
The residency will also create opportunities for local musicians to make the music their own. Richard will work with musical groups from around the Solent to develop new arrangements and interpretations of songs from the original album, helping the project reach new audiences and reflect the diverse communities connected to the region.
Alongside this, he will mentor other artists commissioned through ELSP projects, strengthening creative links between landscape and seascape restoration initiatives across Europe.
By blending music, art, science and community participation, the next chapter of Richard’s residency will continue to tell the Solent’s story in imaginative new ways, helping people connect with the remarkable habitats and wildlife on their doorstep.
Discover the story of Richard’s residency
Want to know more about Richard’s artistic process and his thoughts behind Songs from the Solent? Watch below to discover how the album was brought to life.
Songs from the Solent is available to steam and download now from all major music platforms.
25% of all sales go to the Solent Seascape Project
This scheme is supported by the Endangered Landscapes and Seascapes Programme (ELSP), funded by Arcadia. The ELSP are keen to apply collaborative, transdisciplinary arts practice to celebrate the distinctiveness of the land- and seascape restoration projects (including SSP) that are supported by the ELSP, including their communities, as well as to provide a better understanding of the hopes, ambitions and opportunities that come with nature restoration at scale.
