Our final workshop focused on themes of movement – moving together and creating movement. The group gathered in CAMP on Margate’s Northdown Road for snacks and drinks before walking to the Southern Water Pumping Station, a 40-minute walk along the coast. The high wind dominated the experience, reminding us of a key principle of the project: to be humble and in awe of nature. As we walked, we talked about the sea foam, complex feelings of (dis)ease and being un(safe) in the water, and the clarity of light that made visible the wind turbines off the coast.
When we arrived at the Pumping Station (called the ‘poo bungalow’ by one co-creator), we read the ‘information’ signs. We talked about Southern Water’s ability to take up public space with its narrative, a very divergent narrative to that of Surfers Against Sewage, for example. It prompted a wider conversation about activist strategies – how can we disrupt this narrative and have the confidence to do so? How can we sustain activism and create change in the face of professionalised, corporate denial? Co-creators were full of ideas and insights, and talked about the necessity of public education – about waste infrastructure and treatment, the presence and impact of E. Coli, and corporate accountability for pollution. We also reflected on the powerful history of walking as an activist strategy.
