Ceramic Fish Mural - United by the Sea

A community ceramic fish mural celebrating Looe’s connection with the sea
United by the Sea is a CreativeLooe CIC community art project, created in partnership with Looe Community Academy, which will bring a colourful ceramic shoal to the heart of Looe Harbour.

The project began in 2025 with pupils from Looe Community Academy and Looe Primary Academy. As it developed, pupils from Polperro Primary Academy and Trenode Church of England Primary School also dived in to help shape the project.

The result is more than 800 individually created ceramic fish, which will come together as a breathtaking large-scale mural on the Lower Quay Stores right in the centre of town, where it can be viewed from both sides of the river.
Creating the fish

Each pupil made their own fish from clay, choosing its shape and adding their own marks and textures. After the clay work was completed, the fish were fired and then glazed by our dedicated CreativeLooe volunteers, who added the vibrant colours and finishes.

The result is a collection of individual fish which are entirely handmade works of art and as totally unique as each individual. While every piece tells its own story, together they form an organic, flowing shoal, a striking reminder that when a community works together, we achieve far more than any individual can alone.

From classroom to harbour.
Every single fish has now been made and glazed and are ready for the next stage of the project: installation on the Lower Quay Stores.
The mural will transform a prominent harbour wall into a joyful celebration of Looe's enduring relationship with the sea, while creating a lasting record of the contribution made by local schoolchildren, teachers and volunteers.

A community effort.
United by the Sea has been a genuine community effort, bringing together schools, volunteers and people with a shared commitment to creating a beautiful and permanent work of art for the heart of Looe.

A wonderful team of 37 volunteers has played a vital role, glazing all the fish as well as preparing clay for school workshops, making prototype fish and helping with the many other tasks involved in the project.

The project has been led by CreativeLooe directors Lorna Dickinson and Peter Heywood, working in partnership with Lesa Welch, artist in residence at Looe Community Academy. Local ceramicist Gwen Vaughan has also provided invaluable advice and practical assistance along with designer John Featherstone and fellow directors architect Luisa Gonzalez and academic artist Dr Elizabeth Orcutt.
Together, our children, volunteers and project partners have turned hundreds of individual creations into one shared vision for Looe Harbour.

The fish are made. The wall is waiting.
CreativeLooe CIC in partnership with Looe Community Academy, with the heartfelt support of Looe Primary Academy, Polperro Primary Academy, Trenode Church of England Primary School,Looe Harbour Commission, our wonderful volunteers, project funders, and warm thanks to the planning departments of Looe Town Council and Cornwall Council for seeing the vision and voting through approval for this groundbreaking piece of public art.