Embassy of the North Sea: Dogger Bank Expedition 2027

About the project

Turner Contemporary is inviting one artist or filmmaker to join the Embassy of the North Sea: Dogger Bank Expedition 2027, an international sailing expedition exploring the ecological significance and future restoration of the Dogger Bank.

Working in partnership with the Embassy of the North Sea, the Doggerland Foundation and international partners, Turner Contemporary will fund one artist or filmmaker to take part in this unique experience, sailing aboard the Morgenster from Germany (Bremen port) to the UK (Ipswich) from 22 May to 29 May 2027.

Bringing together artists, scientists, researchers and environmental organisations, the expedition will explore new ways of understanding and connecting with the North Sea. The selected artist will document, interpret and creatively respond to the journey, contributing an artistic perspective to an international conversation about marine ecosystems, biodiversity and environmental change.

The artist's research and creative response will contribute to the Embassy of the North Sea's Dogger Bank Days in The Hague in October 2027, with potential further opportunities to share the work through Turner Contemporary's One Ocean 2028.

Why the Dogger Bank?

The Dogger Bank is a vast, shallow sandbank beneath the North Sea, extending across the maritime territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark.

One of Europe's most important marine ecosystems, it supports a rich diversity of marine life and provides valuable habitats for fish, seabirds and other species. Its ecological importance makes it a significant area for marine protection and restoration.

Yet the Dogger Bank, like many marine environments, faces considerable environmental pressures. Human activity and changes to marine ecosystems have affected the health and resilience of the North Sea, highlighting the urgent need to reconsider how we interact with and care for these shared waters.

The Rewilding Dogger Bank programme, led by the Embassy of the North Sea with international partners, aims to encourage new thinking and collaboration around the restoration of this remarkable marine environment.

By bringing together different disciplines, experiences and perspectives, the programme seeks to explore what a healthier, more resilient North Sea could look like.

Why art and the environment?

Artists have an important role to play in how we understand and respond to environmental change.

Through imagination, experimentation and creative interpretation, art can offer new ways of seeing the natural world, communicate complex ideas and challenge established perspectives. It can help us consider our relationship with the more-than-human world and imagine different futures for the environments we share.

For Turner Contemporary, this opportunity builds on our ongoing commitment to connecting art, science and environmental action, extending the conversations initiated through One Ocean 2026.

We believe that bringing artistic practice into dialogue with scientific research and environmental thinking can create opportunities for new perspectives, meaningful exchange and public engagement.

The Dogger Bank expedition offers an opportunity to explore these connections at first hand, placing artistic practice within an international collaboration focused on the future of our seas.

The artist opportunity

Turner Contemporary will fund one artist or filmmaker to participate in the Dogger Bank sailing expedition aboard the Morgenster.

The selected artist will:

• Join the international expedition travelling from Germany (Bremen port) to the UK (Ipswich) from 22 May to 29 May 2027.
• Engage with an international group of artists, scientists, researchers and environmental organisations.
• Explore the ecological significance of the Dogger Bank and the challenges and opportunities associated with marine restoration.
• Document, interpret and creatively respond to the expedition through their artistic practice.
• Develop research and creative material that will contribute to the Embassy of the North Sea's Dogger Bank Days in The Hague in October 2027.
• Explore opportunities for further engagement through Turner Contemporary's One Ocean 2028.

We are interested in hearing from artists and filmmakers who are curious about the natural world and the possibilities of bringing creative practice into conversations about ecology and environmental change.

We welcome different approaches, disciplines and ways of working. You do not need to be an environmental specialist, but you should be interested in exploring the relationship between art and the environment.

The opportunity is intended to provide space for research, observation, exchange and creative exploration. We are interested in what you might bring to the experience and how you could respond to it through your practice.

The expedition

22–29 May 2027

The expedition will take place aboard the Morgenster, sailing from Germany (Bremen port) to the UK (Ipswich).

Over the course of the journey, participants will explore the North Sea as a shared ecological and cultural environment, exchanging knowledge and perspectives across artistic, scientific and environmental disciplines.

For the selected artist, the journey will offer an opportunity to experience the marine environment at first hand, encounter new ideas and develop a creative response to the Dogger Bank.

The artist will be encouraged to document their experience through photography, film, writing, drawing, audio or other forms of creative practice.

The expedition will also provide material for an ongoing series of stories and reflections, offering audiences an insight into the journey and the role that art can play in environmental conversations.

Others on board the expedition will be a mix of members from the four Dogger Bank countries: artists, scientists, storytellers and journalists selected by the Dogger Bank Coalition which consists of: 

• Embassy of the North Sea (NL)
• ARK Rewilding Nederland (NL)
• Blue Marine Foundation (UK)
• BUND (DE)
• Doggerland Foundation (NL)
• World Wildlife Fund (DK) 
• Atlantic Technological University (IRL)

What happens next?

The selected artist's experience will contribute to a wider programme of international exhibitions, conversations and public engagement.

October 2027: Dogger Bank Days, The Hague

The artist's research and creative response will contribute to the Embassy of the North Sea's Dogger Bank Days in The Hague, bringing together artistic and environmental perspectives on the future of the North Sea.

June 2028: Turner Contemporary's One Ocean 2028

There will be potential opportunities to develop and share the artist's work or reflections through Turner Contemporary's One Ocean 2028, extending the conversation around art, ocean restoration and environmental action.

Together, these activities form part of a longer-term commitment to exploring how art can help us understand environmental change and imagine new relationships with the natural world.

Apply for the opportunity

We are inviting expressions of interest from artists and filmmakers interested in exploring the connections between artistic practice, ecology and environmental change.

Turner Contemporary will fund one selected artist or filmmaker to participate in the Embassy of the North Sea: Dogger Bank Expedition 2027.

Who can apply?

We welcome expressions of interest from UK-based artists and filmmakers who can demonstrate:

• An established and distinctive artistic or filmmaking practice, with examples of previous work.
• A curiosity about the ocean, ecology, climate, biodiversity, landscape, place or our relationship with the natural world.
• An ability to respond creatively to new experiences, ideas and encounters, and an interest in working alongside people from different disciplines.
• The potential to communicate the experience of the expedition through their practice, whether through film, photography, visual art, writing, sound or other creative forms.
• An interest in how art can help people understand environmental challenges, imagine different futures and engage with the restoration of our oceans.

We welcome applications from artists and filmmakers working across different disciplines and creative approaches. We are particularly interested in people who can demonstrate curiosity about the natural world and an interest in exploring environmental themes through their practice.

What are we looking for?

We are interested in applicants who can demonstrate:

• A strong and considered artistic or filmmaking practice.
• An interest in the relationship between art and the natural environment.
• Curiosity about marine ecosystems, biodiversity, rewilding or environmental change.
• An openness to collaboration and exchanging ideas with people from different disciplines.
• An interest in documenting, interpreting and creatively responding to the expedition.
• An ability to communicate ideas and reflections arising from the experience.

You do not need to have previous experience of working in marine environments or environmental science.

What does the opportunity include?

Turner Contemporary will fund one artist or filmmaker to participate in the sailing expedition aboard the Morgenster between 22 May to 29 May 2027.

Turner Contemporary will fund the artist’s participation in the expedition, including travel to and from the departure and arrival locations, as part of its Art and Environment strand and ongoing research and development towards the next One Ocean 2028.

Applicants should be aware that the opportunity involves participating in a sailing expedition. Further information about the practical arrangements, accessibility, facilities and expectations will be provided to shortlisted applicants.

How to apply

To apply, please submit:

Expression of interest (maximum 250 words)

Tell us why would you like to take part in the Dogger Bank expedition?

What interests or excites you about Dogger Bank and the themes of the expedition?

How might the experience connect with or inform your artistic practice?

What possibilities do you see for creatively responding to or sharing the experience?

Examples of your work

Please provide a link to your website, portfolio, showreel or examples of previous work.

Short biography

A brief introduction to your practice and experience.

Availability

Please confirm that you are available to participate in the expedition from 22–29 May 2027 (dates may change, weather dependent); and the kick off meeting on 18 January 2027

To express your interest, please send your 250-word statement, biography, portfolio link and confirmation of availability to: Toby Parkin tparkin@turnercontemporary.org with the subject line ‘Dogger Bank Expedition’. 

Please also use this contact for any questions you might have.

Application deadline: 30 November 2027

Selection process

Applications will be reviewed by Turner Contemporary and project partners.

Shortlisted applicants may be invited to an informal conversation to discuss their practice, interests and approach to the opportunity.

The selected artist will be confirmed around 16 December 2026, subject to final approval by the Embassy of the North Sea.

We aim to create an opportunity that brings a range of creative perspectives into this international collaboration.

About the partners

Turner Contemporary

Turner Contemporary is one of the UK’s most visited contemporary art galleries and part of Margate’s vibrant creative community. Opened in 2011 and designed by David Chipperfield, the gallery presents an ambitious programme of exhibitions, events and learning opportunities inspired by JMW Turner’s legacy and his enduring connection to the town. In 2026, Turner Contemporary marks its 15th anniversary. Since opening, the gallery has played a pivotal role in the region’s cultural and economic regeneration, welcoming over 5.2 million visitors and contributing more than £146 million to the local economy. 

Through its Art & Environment programme and initiatives including One Ocean, Turner Contemporary is developing conversations around art, climate, biodiversity and our shared environmental future.

Embassy of the North Sea

The Embassy of the North Sea is an international initiative exploring new relationships between people and the North Sea. Working across art, culture, science and environmental research, it seeks to bring greater visibility to the life of the sea and encourage new ways of thinking about its future.

Doggerland Foundation

The Doggerland Foundation is a project partner working with the Embassy of the North Sea and international collaborators on the wider ambitions of the Rewilding Dogger Bank programme.

Art, imagination and environmental action come together on a journey to reimagine the future of the North Sea.