Grants for island artists studying seaweed

Jersey-based artists will explore the island's cultural heritage by studying seaweed

Five artists studying the link between seaweed and Jersey's cultural heritage have been awarded a grant of £5,000.

The Vraiqu'sie Project was announced as the winner of Société Jersiaise's Barreau Scholarship.

It is studying the role of seaweed in the island's history and focusing particularly on vraicing - the practice of gathering seaweed to fertilise land to produce Jersey Royal potatoes.

Keren Le Roy Harris, from the collective, said receiving the scholarship was a "significant opportunity".

"This support allows us to fully immerse ourselves in the Vraiqu'sie Project, expanding our research and creative exploration in ways that would not have been possible individually.

"The scholarship reinforces the collaborative nature of our work, mirroring the communal practice of vraicing itself - rooted in shared effort, tradition and connection."

The artists will share the grant money to contribute to the project, which could include sculptures, songs and seaweed-themed costumes.

A spokesperson for Société Jersiaise said: "Their [the collective's] goal is to emotionally reconnect people with seaweed - Jersey's intangible cultural heritage - through art, offering a transformative experience that ties together community, land and nature."