As a sequel to our highly acclaimed MIGRATIONS project, the new venture of the International Centre for the Picture Book in Society is concerned with the environment and in particular the Earth’s oceans and sea life.

We live in tempestuous times where the Earth faces climate instability and biodiversity loss. SEA CHANGE will endeavor to highlight the threat that our oceans face through pollution, over fishing and climate warming. From the Arctic seas to the Pacific coral reefs, our seas, oceans and rivers connect us and have long provided stories, folk tales and myths which are shared and migrate between our cultures. We would like to celebrate the role of the oceans as vital to promoting biodiversity, and as places of wonder and imagination.

The work of illustrators shine lights on the world we inhabit together, reaching the attention of diverse audiences. Through celebrating our oceans and the life they support through images we believe that we can raise awareness about our duty of care to the natural world.

As visual storytellers and communicators, we can continue to pose questions and challenge indifference through our work, at the same time highlighting the crucial importance of protecting our oceans and sea life.

As with MIGRATIONS we are planning a crowd sourced, postcard call out asking illustrators around the world to send us an illustrated fish or sea creature on the picture side of the card and a relevant message, phrase or thought on the theme on the message side of the card.

The donations will form an exhibition which, like MIGRATIONS, will be exhibited around the world and engage with an international audience through workshops, talks and other related activities.