KING TIDE WITH KAYLA PARKER AND STUART MOORE

This March, we welcome artist Kayla Parker and film-maker Stuart Moore for a three-week residency responding to the heritage and environment of the Mount Batten peninsula.

Over the residency, they will create a 360 film focused on the heritage and natural and built environment of the Mount Batten peninsula. At the centre of their exploration is the phenomenon of the King Tide.

WHAT IS A KING TIDE

A King Tide is an exceptionally high tide produced when the gravitational forces of the moon and sun align during a new or full moon when the moon is closest in its orbit to the Earth. It also creates extremely low sea levels that expose areas of the shoreline that are normally under deep water.

THE RESIDENCY

The artists will explore Mount Batten, this unique place in the north eastern corner of Plymouth Sound, during the King Tide to create a moving image artwork made from filming on location at Mount Batten and mark-making techniques such as engraving and printing directly onto 16mm and 35mm filmstrips.

Alongside filming on location, the artists are working with children and staff at Hooe Primary Academy and members of Old Plymouth Society, a local history group. The intergenerational film responds to their, and others’, experiences and memories of the peninsula.

ABOUT MOUNT BATTEN

Mount Batten carries layers of history. It was a significant trading port with Continental Europe during the late Bronze Age. The Artillery Tower and the flying boat hangars remain visible reminders of its strategic role in the defence of Plymouth from Medieval times until the recent past.

The South West Coast Path loops around the peninsula, passing marinas, the Mount Batten Centre and a sand and rock beach popular with swimmers and families. After the First World War, Mount Batten became a Royal Air Force station and the area was closed to the public. Towards the end of the 20th century, the RAF station closed and the modern development of the site began - once again opening the peninsula for people to enjoy.

MEET THE ARTISTS AND EXPERIENCE THE PROCESS

The artists invite you to join them in the space, talk about their work with film and experience the moving image artwork created during their time at Grow.

Friday 20th March 2026
5.00pm – 7.00pm

Saturday 21st March 2026
11.00am – 2.00pm

About the Project

Kayla Parker and Stuart Moore’s Mount Batten Project is commissioned and produced by Plymouth Culture for Sea for Yourself, a four-year cultural programme reconnecting people with the ocean through art, creativity and storytelling. Delivered by Plymouth Culture in partnership with Plymouth City Council and Plymouth Sound National Marine Park, the programme is funded by Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England’s Place Partnership Fund, working to forge a new relationship between the city, its communities and the sea.

About #DIYRESIDENCIES at Grow
Artists and collectives take over the project space to experiment and test out new idea. These residencies support artistic exploration across sustainability, food and drink, inclusion, grassroots culture, music, and heritage. All with the aim of nurturing Plymouth’s creative scene.