The work examined the merits of taking an arts-based approach to assess Cultural Ecosystem Services. The work forms part of a contract for Cefas under their Seascapes II programme which falls under the marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (mNCEA) programme funded by Defra. It builds on previous work carried out by Cefas in Seascape I and will contribute to the UK government’s policy and decision making for marine and coastal environments. ERC lead this contract and bought in the expertise of Wild Pear CIC and Kath Daly Associates. 

The aim of the work was to demonstrate how arts-based approaches can be used to assess Cultural Ecosystem Services and how these can best be combined with economic data and communicated to decision makers. 

In order to do this, an approach was designed involving art workshops that were delivered in the East Inshore Marine Plan area aimed at assessing and exploring the benefits that the coastal and marine environment provide to individuals with regards sense of place. The approach collected evidence on the benefits of the natural environment to residents of coastal locations by facilitating the artistic expression of members of the public. The results of the project were analysed and the key learning outcomes of the work were evaluated and reflected on to identify what elements worked well and what could be improved upon. The evaluation focused on determining the extent to which the process provides meaningful data to decision makers and what lessons can be taken forward for the benefit of future projects. 

The research has shown that art can be a powerful tool to identify, interpret, and communicate Cultural Ecosystem Services. The two reports that were written will be published by Cefas towards the end of 2025, who are also in the process of setting up a digital exhibition of the art pieces that were produced at the workshops.