Deep Harbour
A place to explore local stories of hope in the Falmouth community
10+ Years Experience
2,500+ People
80+ Programmes
100+ Workshops
You are at the Ship Inn. An imaginary pub on the headland, just outside Falmouth.
There has been a storm surge. Trees have come down across the only road that leads in. Everyone is staying for the night.
A folk session is underway. Fiddles, a guitar, drinks, laughter. The locals start telling stories and somewhere in the telling, the talk turns to hope. To what a good life might look like here in 2050.
Like the Falmouth Packet ships that once carried messages from this harbour to the world, this hope is sent outwards.
And so the story begins…
3 sold-out nights
200 seats per night
50+ performers
Live recorded album
Now Picture the Room
It's the final night of a sold-out three-night run at the Poly in Falmouth, one of the oldest and most loved performance halls in Cornwall. Every seat has been taken for weeks.
On stage, three or four amateur actors who have spent the last two months in rehearsal are joined by a swell of folk musicians and local choirs. Behind them, the Ship Inn comes to life: the storm, the stranded travellers, the stories of hope that begin to reshape what 2050 could feel like.
In the audience are the friends, families and colleagues of everyone who took part. They are joined by those who came through the eight creative workshops that fed into this piece, many seeing their own words and voices woven into the show. And alongside them, people from right across the Falmouth area have shown up, many of whom, the feedback tells us, came simply because they were tired of stories of despair and hungry for something else.
A few weeks later, an album of the original music recorded live across the performances is on sale. The harbour has held something. And like the ships that once carried messages out from this harbour, what happens in that room is built to travel.
"This experience will stay in my heart forever.... I have rekindled a love for humankind."
Feedback from a Creative Workshop in 2025
Why now?
A sounding is how sailors once measured the depth of water beneath them. It is a weighted line, lowered until it found the bottom. Here are soundings of how deep anxiety about the future currently runs in the UK and in Cornwall.
75%
of young people across the UK and nine other countries say the future is frightening (University of Bath)
93%
of UK adults said they felt worried for future generations when thinking about environmental issues (The Reading Agency)
66%
of young people are feeling sad, afraid, anger, powerlessness, despair and grief (University of Bath)
859
Cornwall residents who were surveyed by Cornwall Council, who found that they were more concerned about climate change than the national average
17
neighbourhoods in Cornwall fall within the top 10% most deprived areas in England (Index of Multiple Deprivation).
Cornwall's response to climate anxiety has increasingly focused on imagination and storytelling by helping people "design a plan for a better future for Falmouth" and sharing stories that "give hope for the future”, such as the Strategy Room, commissioned by Nesta, an innovation charity. Deep Harbour builds on this…
“The space encourages and inspires deep creation, connection and joy.”
Feedback from a Creative Workshop in 2022
One harbour, many voices
The first phase of the project is eight creative workshops held across Falmouth in partnership with local organisations, reaching at least 100 people over a wide mix of ages and backgrounds. Each workshop centres on a creative practice and participants will dream into a hopeful future for 2050. Each workshop is a complete experience in its own right, as well as the research and development for the final piece.
Feedback from Creative Workshops in 2025
❈100% gained insights and practices to integrate into your life
❈100% felt nourished and supportive of community
❈100% enhanced physical and mental wellbeing
❈98% felt inspired
❈95% have tried new things or learned new skills
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"Totally transformational. I am returning to life a different person."
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"You have changed my world, and inspired me to bring these gifts of story and compassion to others."
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"I am leaving feeling nourished and hopeful. We are creating a beautiful new world."
Project Leaders
Martha Tilston
Martha Tilston has developed a successful musical and film making career with a large and loyal following worldwide. She has played her music on some of the world’s most prestigious stages and festivals and released several critically acclaimed albums. In the world of film making, Martha has gained nominations for best arts film for The Clifftop Sessions and recently released her feature film The Tape which she writes, directs and performs in. Martha also studied theatre and lectures in song writing, performance and the telling of story through song. Her passion is unlocking the creativity and story in all of us.
Andy Raingold
As Co-Founder and Director of Change in Nature, Andy supports people and organisations to make meaningful action in this pivotal time. He is a facilitator, coach, speaker, environmental campaigner and social entrepreneur with a wealth of experience leading people through transformation. As featured in:
Feedback from Creativity Camp 2025
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"Absolute magic. Incredibly powerful and not like anything I have done before."
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"This experience will stay in my heart forever.... I have rekindled a love for humankind."
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"This is about as perfect as you can get.... An abundant source of inspiration."