16th June 2025
Hull Maritime has been working closely with local residents to celebrate the rich biodiversity along the River Hull through art.
Residents have been creating artworks of wildlife to go on display at the new North End Shipyard.
Hull Maritime are creating a series of information boards to highlight the wildlife that can be spotted along the River Hull, highlighting some of the species that might be seen by visitors to the new North End Shipyard, where the Arctic Corsair will be berthed.
Featuring species such as the Brimstone Butterfly, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Plaice and Redshank, the boards will combine fascinating facts with beautiful, community-created artwork.
To bring this vision to life, Hull Maritime has worked with local residents to talk about wildlife and the environment and collaboratively create artworks of the chosen creatures, some of which will go on these boards.
Families in Derringham came together at Fred Moore Library, to learn about and express their creativity in a workshop delivered by community arts organisation Square Peg Hull. Children and parents explored the lives of the featured species and used a range of materials to produce vibrant animal collages.
Hull Maritime had previously awarded a small grant to community group Friends of Garrowby Orchard in 2023 to work with local families in Derringham and create information boards for the Setting Dyke Community Greenspace exploring the themes of water management, biodiversity and human wellbeing.
The group invited local families to make artworks of the wildlife found in the space, which were incorporated into the design of the boards. That collaboration was such a success, many of the same families were excited to take part again as well as new families – this time creating artworks, some of which will be used in a new visitor attraction in Hull, the North End Shipyard.
“The children worked really hard to create their animal collages and loved learning about local wildlife. They are all so excited to see how the artwork will be used.” Rachel Elm, Square Peg Hull.
Hull Maritime also invited a group of adults from Ings to take part. The group has been taking part in a wildlife and environment themed project with Hull Maritime and the Ings Neighbourhood Coordinator for the last year, enjoying workshops, talks and activities delivered by Living With Water, the RSPB and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, and a special trip to Spurn Point for a Unimog safari.
Running a creative workshop with this group was rewarding as many of the participants have enjoyed learning more about nature and the different species found in Hull and the Humber Estuary over the last year and about.
Although some participants were slightly nervous at first, after chatting about the animals chosen and enjoying a restorative cup of tea the group soon got stuck in drawing and creating collages of Redshank, Pied Wagtail, Oystercatcher, Plaice and Brimstone Butterflies.
“Mum and I both found the session very interesting, we both love nature and wildlife and to know we have so much on our doorstep is very encouraging. We have planned a few day trips to the coast, Spurn and down to Blacktoft having had our interest piqued again.
“The drawing and craft element was so much fun and although I still can’t draw, I thought it was a good bonding activity for the group. Interesting to see if any of our pieces are used on the wall later. Many thanks for another great session” Sue, participant from Ings Library workshop.
Councillor Mike Ross, Leader of Hull City Council, said: “This project is a brilliant example of how culture, nature and community can come together to create something lasting and meaningful. It’s inspiring to see local people of all ages contributing to such an important part of Hull’s maritime future.”
A selection of the artworks above will be on display at the North End Shipyard when it opens in 2026.
With special thanks to Hull Libraries, Ings Neighbourhood Coordinator Pauline Beach, Square Peg Hull and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust for their support on this project.
