by Jason deCaires Taylor

We are living through unprecedented times marked by strikes and protests, with many of our public services and natural resources being driven towards financial or environmental collapse. As these crises unfold, it falls increasingly upon local communities and ordinary citizens to defend their rights and safeguard the ecological balance.

This art installation is intended to celebrate these people who are part of a national network of volunteers, driving public discourse and political action to safeguard the health of our water bodies and marine ecologies. Some of those are SOS Whitstable, a group of 10 local activists who have been working tirelessly to hold water companies to account and make the sea safer along the Kent coast.

The sculptures themselves are lifecasts, portraying a small cross-section of the local Whitstable community (including members of SOS Whitstable). They include; a cold water swimmer, a school child, kite surfer, a lifeboat volunteer and a local fisherman. Each holds a profound connection to the sea and a shared resolve to combat water pollution.

Discharges of sewage still occur frequently along this coastline and are regularly unseen activities that happen during the cover of darkness or through outlets that are concealed by the tides. Sirens of Sewage forms part of Jason deCaires Taylor’s Siren Series, which are artworks designed to reveal environmental issues that are often hidden beneath the waves. This particular artwork serves as an important reminder of this ongoing crisis, urging us to confront the pressing need for systemic change. Whether through the nationalisation of our water industry or stringent regulation, we must demand a future where clean water is not a privilege but a fundamental right for both our communities and marine habitats alike.