DAY 5

27th July 2026

Blackpill Beach, Mumbles

DYDD 5

27 Gorffennaf 2026

Traeth Blackpill, Mwmbwls

Artists /Artistiaid:

SARA HOLDEN,

TINA MARIE CUNNINGHAM,

JENNY CHISHOLM

Photographer / Ffotograffydd Prosiect: PHIL HOLDEN

Our annual Beach Sculpture Festival continued its tour to Blackpill Beach on the edge of Mumbles which is a large sandy beach with views of the lighthouse and Bristol Channel. Blackpill beach is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in recognition of its importance for local and migratory wader birds who overwinter here and forage for food. Consequently, there is an abundance of different species of shells here such as cockle, mussell, oyster etc. that have been opened and eaten by the wader birds. The shells are eagerly collected by festival participants and used to decorate the sculptures that are dug out of the sand at the festival. Families and groups soon arrived at the beach to work with the artists and kept coming all day to create a wonderful display of sculptures across the beach, some of which are featured here together with participant and artist comments.

The beach is on the edge of Mumbles and is reached from the beach promenade.

We really enjoyed working as a team to make starfish.

Everyone was in the heart of the project, looking stylish and enjoying this large scale jigsaw like experience.

My son really enjoyed getting involved in the festival.

Whilst initially hesitant, participants relaxed and became easily absorbed in the making process of art works, theyoften liked being given opportunities to go seek natural resources, and appreciated the guidance to do so. There was a sense of calm in the other busy activities happening on the beach. Most artworks were centred on birds that visit or live within Swansea bay. This enabled open talks and discussions on the birds along the bay.

It was great to be involved in the shared process of making large scale artworks, a true spectacle on the shore line. It's always good to connect with people through nature outside.

As a grand finale piece for the last day of the Beach Sculpture 2026 Festival, a large scale Curlew bird was first drawn into the sand and then created as a mosaic sculpture using collections of materials including feathers, shells of different sizes, colours and types, i.e. cockle, oyster, slipper limpet, etc. which had been gathered by different people during the course of the day. Many different hands worked on the exquisite tapestry of beautiful natural materials and exchanged interesting conversations about the curlew and other visiting wader birds at Blackpill.

At the beginning of the day, the Curlew artwork is an outline with a few sections completed.

Participants and viewers were very impressed with the beach art, they really enjoyed foraging and seeing the art work take shape.

The vast beach allowed us all the space we wanted to draw up a really large scale bird

to get a bird's eye view

of what's its like to be a curlew

The curlew is worked on from all angles as a group sculpture that was created from the natural materials the beach gave us.

To see the creativity and the use of driftwood is superb!

Love the creative community feeling here today!

Thank you to everyone, the people who came, the artists, the photographer and the people who supported us and contributed to making our 22nd annual Beach Sculpture Festival such a success once again.

THANK YOU TO OUR KIND SPONSORS FEATURED BELOW:
Diolch i bawb am wneud ein gwyl cerflunwaith flynyddol mor llwyddiant unwaith eto.

DIOLCH I'N EIN HYRWYDDION SY'N GWYBODAETH BOD

Making a Sanderling from the shells found -

the beach is a perfect shell seeker's paradise!

It was a fantastic experience for families to work together helping to make the Curlew mosaic sculpture. Each shell gathered was first washed and then carefully placed in a portion of the beautiful artwork made from the materials the beach itself provided.

Environmental Art events like this are worthwhile as they aid children's creativity and patience.

It encourages the kids to be active on the beach as well as creative.

The festival was very busy all day with lots of people coming to join in or look at the artworks on the beach.

A Sanderling, also a wader bird, is made on the sands too using the natural materials found.

Thanks for a lovely family activity. We loved creating this and we will do it again.

A fabulous day at Blackpill for the Beach Sculpture Festival Tour 2026!