Falmouth lecturer leads life-size ‘Basket Shark’ project to raise awareness of sea pollution

To mark World Ocean Day, staff and students from Falmouth University paraded a hand-crafted, life-size and mechanical 20-foot sculpture of a basking shark from Falmouth Campus through to Gyllyngvase Beach for Falmouth’s ‘Festival for the Ocean’, highlighting the dangers caused by plastic pollution.  

Made from carbon-light materials such as salvaged bamboo, willow, and pallet wood, the shark, aptly named as the ‘Basket Shark’, is a visually inspiring project that has been led by Senior Lecturer Duncan Cameron.

It has seen children, tourists, local people, staff and students come together to create the life-size sculpture at a series of community workshops and has recently drawn large crowds during its May half-term residency at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall (NMMC). The work has been assembled, displayed and performed by Falmouth’s staff and students to highlight pressures facing the wonderful but vulnerable basking shark, the world’s second largest fish.  

After joining the Surfers Against Sewage Paddle-Out Protest in May, and following its time at the NMMC and the World Ocean Day parade on Gylly Beach over the weekend, the sculpture will now be part of a developing series of events throughout the summer and autumn.  

When asked about the project, Duncan said: “It’s all about making people’s voices heard while creatively protesting on pollution in a way that is exciting and fun – it’s about creative agency and a hope for change.” 

He explained: “The sculpture has a hole in the side, modelled after a traditional lobster pot entrance, for people to place any plastic that they find on the beach. It’s been fantastic to have so many students and staff involved – from the Fine Art and Drawing students who have helped to bring workshops to life, to the students who have worked on the planning, production and installation of the sculpture. It’s been a great way for students to model professional practice skills and for them to build portfolio experience whilst working on something meaningful.”