Latest News
Arts University Plymouth students create new remembrance sculpture for Britain’s Ocean City
Wednesday, 5 November, 2025 — Created by Arts University Plymouth students David Beasley and Ant Hill MBE, in partnership with Plymouth City Council and Babcock International, ‘Ebb and Flow’ is a moving new sculpture symbolising reunion and remembrance for Britain’s Ocean City.
Arts University Plymouth, Babcock International Group (Babcock), and Plymouth City Council, have worked in partnership to create a poignant memorial for the city as part of the city’s Remembrance 2025 commemorations.
Unveiling 'Ebb and Flow', with artists David Beasley (fourth from right) and Ant Hill MBE (sixth from right)
<p>The sculpture ‘Ebb and Flow’, created by <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-craft-material-practices">BA (Hons) Craft and Material Practices</a> student David Beasley, a former Royal Air Force engineer, depicts a parent and child, with the reflective surface of polished steel mirroring the people and surroundings of Plymouth, connecting the theme of reunion and remembrance to the city’s maritime heritage.</p>
<p>From concept to reality, the memorial took six months to develop and involved art students, fabricators, and engineers working together to capture the emotions of military families. The project, led by <strong>Plymouth City Council</strong> and children’s charity <strong>Never Such Innocence</strong>, grew from poetry workshops where children shared their feelings about missing a parent on deployment.</p>
<p>Arts University Plymouth students created design concepts, which were shared with local military linked schools: Hooe, Eggbuckland Vale, Leigham, St George’s and Sherford Vale. The schools chose the winning design, created by <strong>BA (Hons) Craft & Material Practices</strong> student <strong>David Beasley</strong>, a former <strong>Royal Air Force engineer</strong>, and developed collaboratively with <strong><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-fine-art">BA (Hons) Fine Art</a></strong> student and former <strong>Royal Marines Major Ant Hill MBE</strong>. They were supported by fellow students <strong>Lucy Claire Walker, Dorron Britz</strong> and <strong>Claire Jones</strong>.</p>
<p>The sculpture depicts a parent and child leaning towards each other. As viewers move around it, one figure fades as the other appears, reflecting the constant cycle of presence and absence. The child raises its arms in the semaphore signal for ‘L’, standing for love, loss and longing – a symbol drawn from the reflections of children involved in the workshops.</p>
Local schoolchildren with artists David Beasley and Ant Hill MBE (both left of the sculpture) visit Babcock to see the work in progress before installation
<p>Babcock brought the design to life at its Devonport facility, crafting the sculpture using a skilled team of fabricators and engineers, and by applying advanced techniques and tools to complete the two-part sculpture.</p>
<p>Steve Ball, Operations Director at Babcock’s Devonport facility, said: "It is fantastic that we’ve had an opportunity to support such a meaningful project. As proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and an employer with many veterans and reservists in our workforce, it’s been an honour to work alongside our partners to create a memorial with deep significance. This achievement reflects the hard work and commitment of everyone involved in bringing this project to life."</p>
'Ebb and Flow' - David Beasley (2025)
<p>Councillor Pauline Murphy, who has played a significant role in the project from the start, said: "Our Armed Forces is what has shaped Plymouth into the city it is today, and the sculpture will be a representation of just that. We are a proud military city, and this will be a visual representation of the city’s military past, present and future and we are committed to honouring its legacy."</p>
<p>In July 2025, Arts University Plymouth <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/posts/arts-university-armed-forces-covenant">signed the Armed Forces Covenant</a>, reinforcing its commitment to supporting veterans, serving personnel and their families. The university’s involvement in ‘Ebb and Flow’ reflects that commitment in action, bringing together creativity, service and community partnership.</p>
<p>Professor Stephen Felmingham, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at Arts University Plymouth, said: "Projects like ‘Ebb and Flow’ show how creativity and civic collaboration can help people connect across generations. Our students worked closely with schoolchildren, engineers and members of the city council to turn the emotions of remembrance into something lasting and tangible for the city."</p>
Signing the Armed Forces Covenant
<p>In July 2025, Arts University Plymouth signed the <strong>Armed Forces Covenant</strong>, reinforcing its commitment to supporting veterans, serving personnel and their families.</p>
<p>The university’s involvement in <em>‘Ebb and Flow’</em> reflects that commitment in action, bringing together creativity, service and community partnership.</p>
<p>“One of the young girls talked about how she just wanted to hug her dad when he was away,” said the designer <strong>David Beasley</strong>.</p>
<p>“That really stayed with me. The hug goodbye when they go away and the hug when they come back became the heart of the design for the sculpture. Two figures almost embracing, with one disappearing as the other comes into view.”<br /></p>
