New Shadow Ships artwork celebrates Shoreham’s maritime history

The project, titled Shadow Ships, was launched during a community event at Coronation Green. It took place on Friday, May 15 and was attended by residents, schoolchildren, local historians and community groups.

Created by artists Dawn Parsonage and Peter Hudson from Light Space Color, the installation features a series of metal and coloured glass silhouette sculptures representing ships and boats with historic links to Shoreham and the River Adur.

A spokesperson for Adur District Council said: “It has been fascinating to see this project come to life over the past few months.

“From learning about the varied history of the 15 ships highlighted in the public vote to the vibrant imaginations of the children at Buckingham Park Primary School, this project is a great example of how the council, community and artists can come together to create something that benefits the whole of Shoreham.”

The launch event also featured performances from the RNLI and local sea shanty group The Salty Mares.

Five of the ships included in the artwork were selected following a public vote, with more than 600 residents taking part online, through printed leaflets and at the Light Up Shoreham festive event in 2025.

A sixth sculpture, named Ship of the Future, was designed by year five pupils from Buckingham Park Primary School, who saw their creation unveiled for the first time during the event.

The sculptures were made using sustainable and reclaimed materials, including recycled metal and reclaimed glass, with much of the fabrication carried out in West Sussex by Littlehampton Welding.

Designed to be interactive, the artworks use sunlight to cast coloured shadows onto the ground, changing throughout the day and across the seasons.

Each sculpture also features a QR code linking visitors to audio stories and reflections from local residents, historians and community groups connected to Shoreham and the River Adur.

The artists said the project was inspired by Shoreham’s long history of shipbuilding and hoped the installation would become both a reflective public space and a place for children to explore and play.

“It has been a delight and privilege to work with, and for, the people of Shoreham on these Shadow Ships,” they said.

“From the very beginning we were fascinated by Shoreham’s deep connection to the river Adur, and a rich history of ship building stretching back over 1,000 years.

“The fact that such huge timber ships were built right next to the modest houses of Shoreham must have been an incredible and defining sight for the town.

“We hope that Shadow Ships helps to raise Coronation Green up in its own right, and acts as an invitation to people to come and meditate on the sculptures, river and the history, or for children to play with the shadows and be excited to see them as the children grow up.”

The project was funded using more than £31,000 of Section 106 contributions linked to developments including Mariner Point, Lidl and the mixed-use development on Old Shoreham Road.

A free booklet explaining the project and the history behind the selected ships is available at The Shoreham Centre, Shoreham Library and Marlipins Museum, as well as online.