Research Statement

This critical commentary explores the creative development and research process of Never at Sea (2023), an interdisciplinary work utilizing film, sculpture, performance, and sound to encapsulate experiences of erosion and loss in response to the politicisation of people seeking refuge in the United Kingdom. Never at Sea identifies water as a site of journey, absence, and a place of loss and death. The authors argue that creative practice has a unique ability to sit with uncertainty, change, and challenging topics, therefore making the work of artists crucial in responding to current social and political issues. Importantly, we explore the potential and possibility of immersive, screen-based art as a medium for engendering empathy and creating a space for nuanced debate.

Research Questions

• In what way can immersive art environments seek to transform or engage audiences in politically divisive topics?

• How can practice based artistic methods ethically respond to major humanitarian issues of our times?

Context: Artistic Responses to a ‘Hostile Environment’

In the lead up to the Brexit campaign, the UK government developed a set of policies and approaches in response to a perception that the country was experiencing an increase in migration. More broadly, this hostile environment left many commonwealth citizens, who had come to see Britain as ‘home’, feel targeted (Qureshi, A; Morris, M; Mort, L, 2020). Given the scarcity of official routes to entry, many people now attempt to reach the UK across the English Channel in small boats, oftentimes resulting in injury and death through drowning (Griffiths, M; Yeo, C (2021).

It was in response to this national context that Never at Sea (2022/23) was developed as a site-specific work in June 2023 at St Mary le Strand Church in London. The authors, visual artist Kate McMillan and composer, Cat Hope, collaborated with choreographer Sivan Rubinstein, dancer Lydia Walker, percussionist Louise Devenish, and soprano Marcia Lemke-Kern. The conception of the work was informed by a series of workshops with women who had experienced forced migration, in collaboration with the Lewisham Refugee Resettlement Program, Refugee Council, and King’s College London’s Sanctuary Program[1].

The selection of St Mary Le Strand as the site of the work engaged with the historic roles of churches as places of institutional power, and also as a public space available for contemplation and mourning (Archbishop of Canterbury, 2023 APA News). St Mary Le Strand was the patron church of the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS). Established in 1939, the WRNS were the first women allowed into the armed services, and their motto ‘Never at Sea’, was coined to reassure the public that the WRNS would not be serving with men at sea. This motto, reflecting the absence of WRNS from the sea, subsequently became the title of the project. ‘Never at Sea’ became a way to think about who, why, and how groups of people travel by sea, and who was visible.

[1] King’s College, London Ethical Clearance (LRS/DP-22/23-36044) stipulated that, due to the perceived and potential vulnerability of this group, and the uncertain status of their migration status, that they should be anonymised.

Methodology: Ethics of Engagement

The methods employed for the creation of this work defined almost all the creative choices evidenced in the final project. As the artist and initiator, McMillan wanted to create space for the voices and experiences of the other creatives, as well as contributions from workshop participants. This required a certain amount of ‘letting go’ of preconceived outcomes, and an iterative approach to discussions and creativity throughout. Knowledge production was therefore taking place during and because of the collaborative arts-based research we undertook (Morgan & Castle, 2024). Bhattacharya (2013) describes this as “the process and the product of constructing knowledge—the constructor and constructed, the artist and the art—need (ing) to engage in simultaneous, ongoing iterative renderings”. In doing so, the authors, their methods and outcomes sought to collect knowledge beyond their subjective boundaries. However, Never at Sea was ultimately about the artists reflections on the systemic erasure of humanity from public discourse (Barone & Eisner, 2012).

Early on, we established that we needed to be responsive and sensitive to the women we worked with who had experienced forced displacement, without seeking to ‘represent’ them. We were acutely aware of the ethical considerations in using filmic imagery and its capacity to be misunderstood as ‘documenting’ or speaking for the migrant women. Pickering and Kara (2017) discuss this in terms of the ‘representational acts’ of arts-based research and argue for an ‘ethics of engagement’. In particular, we considered the distinction that Pickering and Kara make between literal and real truths (ibid pp301) and the ‘interpretive authority’ of the researcher. In the case of ‘Never at Sea’ the ‘real truths’ – the general themes and concerns, rather than specific personal details – were the focus of the project. Using arts-based workshops, we were able to identify and record these ‘real truths’, which would shape the final iteration of the project.

This approach closely aligns to the genre of fictional realism evident in contemporary art discourse over the last decade. Burrows & O’Sullivan (2019 pp99) describe this as “an open-ended, experimental practice that involves performing, diagramming or assembling to create or anticipate new modes of existence”. As such, the final work symbolised key themes, experiences and observations of the broader socio-political context of forced migration, rather than the literal truths of individual people we worked with.

McMillan and Hope worked to distinguish the project from the history of artists appropriating the spectacle of trauma, such Ai Wei Wei’s 2016 re-enactment of the body of toddler Alan Kurdi on a Greek beach. Scholars have rightly called into question the ethics of using shock to generate empathy (Szörényi, 2006).  Conversely, other artists have entirely invisibilized histories of the ocean as a site of trauma, such as Alan Sekula’s film ‘The Forgotten Space’ that critiques the unseen flows of capital across the Atlantic. In Sekula’s work, as Sharpe (2014) identifies, the work erases three centuries of the trade in human beings across those very routes (Burroughs & Huzzey, 2018). In the case of both these works, the camera becomes an instrument of violence (Nouzeilles, 2016).

In contrast to these approaches, the goal of ‘Never at Sea’ was to up-end the dominance of ‘visuality’ - which Foucault (2001) argues organizes the social order of relations - and to give equal consideration to the embodied experiences of movement and journey, and the aural memories of journey and home. In combining the moving image, performance and sound we purposely took the knowledge we gathered towards a process of abstraction, in the hope of enabling more expansive entry points to the work beyond representation.  Hence, the evolution of the work was continually reorientated without fixed outcomes, and took over two years to complete (see Appendix 1).

As we moved through each stage of the process, we collected data and made observations, as new material and knowledge was brought into the project. For example, when we ran the workshops, many of the women said they felt disorientated and still did not feel at ‘home’. This led to a choice of reversing the pews, so the audience sat with their back to the alter. Audiences often reported not noticing that the pews were reversed, but noted that they felt disorientated. This builds on several of McMillan and Hope’s previous collaborations where environments are constructed to create a dis-ease, often oscillating between beauty and terror. Specifically, this alerts us to what Malchiodi (2018) describes as ‘sensorial experience’ through the embodied experience of being ‘in’ the work.

Additionally, the goals of Never at Sea – to agenda empathy, dialogue and nuanced conversation around humanitarian issues – were also present in the methodological approach. For example, the workshops were carefully designed with openness as well as a loose structure. We engaged an Arabic translator and a workshop facilitator who had expertise working with vulnerable groups. Many of the activities, such as movement and meditation, required the participants to follow basic instructions that were easily translated. The workshops were catered with Halal food so that after each session, everyone could eat together. The participants received an online voucher, and their travel expenses were also covered. Over the three, three-hour workshops many women formed connections and shared experiences that bonded them together outside of the workshop format. The discussions and perspectives shared in these workshops found its way into the final creative work in a number of ways. For example the sung text by soprano Marica Lemke-Kern is an abstracted statement collected from the first workshop, where a number of women stated that,  ‘I have nothing from home’.  Each music gesture sung begins with a syllable from this statement  -   “I”, “ha”, “ve”, “noth”, “ing” “fr”, “om”, ‘h” “mmme.”  The shape of these gestures in the graphic score is repeated in the percussion parts, which are sounded using techniques such as dragging McMillan’s ceramic ear sculptures on the skin of the bass drum, pulling on rope attached to the bass drum to create long, moaning type sounds, and fast, gentle rolls with large mallets on the tam tam creating swells and unstable, understated rumbles.

Water was a feature of this live percussion set up. Rather than include field recordings of the ocean, the pre-recorded part of the soundscape provided the ‘underwater’ sonic impressions. Actual water featured in the live performance in a number of ways. Dipping a gong in water to achieve a more ‘melodic’ shape to the instrument was a key method of mirroring the voice, and a waterphone was bowed to create eerie, fluid soundscapes created by the movement of water in the body of the instrument. The marine rope attached to the bass drum was continuously dampened with water to achieve the long form sonic effects resulting from gently pulling the rope, thus activating the drum.

There are also moments where the voice emulates the percussion in free improvisation sections using McMillan’s sculptures as percussion instruments.

These sections of improvisation are key as an expression of autonomy – taking a cue from the intent of the workshops, the music composition aimed to create spaces for musicians to express themselves with the tools we provided. These included the aforementioned cowrie shell which Lemke-Kerne would sing into.

Finally, the inclusion of breath as part of the live performance was a key element to create emotional tension. Inward taking and outward exhaling of breath was scored for all performers, where performers followed each other in a circular approach. As Caterina Albano notes, breath provides “a way of exposing the permeability of the body itself, its porosity and sensitivity to the surrounding environment” (Albano, 2022, 6), and here it was used as an expression of vulnerability but also, a personal, sonic attempt to move emotionally closer to the subject matter.

Outcomes

The site-specific exhibition for Never at Sea lasted for one week, and was intersected by a series of live performances (described above), talks and a symposium. The backdrop for all the public programs were the two films, both of which were projected onto textured surfaces made from dis-used cardboard. The larger projection was characterized by expansive landscapes of the Indian Ocean and underwater scenes, with a soundtrack. The smaller projection onto a cardboard sculpture showed POV shots of the young women on the boat looking at their hands and feet and the objects inside the boat.

Objects were introduced as percussion instruments in the live score including ‘hagstones’, cowrie shells and clusters of WRNS uniform buttons. Based on approaches to listening practices (McMillan, 2023), McMillan created a series of ceramic ears hung as chimes, and a large ceramic ‘listening bowl’ which were sounded by the percussionist. All performers used handheld a.m. radios with a built-in speaker, projecting static into the air. In addition to the soprano’s voice, all performers had moments of vocalisation in the score.

The scored orchestral work, which formed the foundation for the editing of the two films, was initially recorded in the Brunel Tunnel, Rotherhithe, London - which was originally built for people in Victorian London to walk underneath the Thames – the artery of Empire. It responded to the underwater site of the recording but also the wider themes of sea-bound forced migration and the embodied experience of being in water. The score focused on the tensions of being below and above of water, inspired by the film rushes; and with a focus on low frequency sound provided by the bass guitar, cellos, double basses, viola’s, bass clarinet and percussion. Notably, when an excerpt from this pre- recorded score was played to the workshop participants, the women described it as reminiscent of the sound of being in a bomb shelter. The energy produced by bombs is largely emitted from very low frequency sound waves (Volcler, 2013, 43) and these can be received as a ‘dull’ sonic impression, as if one was experiencing the sound from inside a small space, such as a bomb shelter.

In addition to reversing the pews in the church, a collection of screen shots from the films was printed onto silk and 50 kneelers, or ‘prayer cushions’ were made. These subtle interventions unfolded for the viewer as they encountered the film and performance.  The performers were wearing silk costumes with textures from the Kent coast and underwater scenes from the film printed onto them.

Soprano Marcia Lemke-Kerne sang from the balcony of the church, quite high up, and the percussionist was situated on the floor, as was dancer Lydia Walker.  Walker began the performance from outside the church, drawing the audience in, where the performers were already in position, and the films playing. Starting with the radio’s being waved slowly in the air, the performance began, and lasted around 25 minutes. Rubenstein’s choreography engaged the dancer with the main corridor into the church, the walls, spaces between the pews and in close proximity to the percussionist.

Impact

In the same week the performance was premiered, over 500 people drowned off the Greek coast after being ignored by European authorities (Beake, 2023). In contrast, a billionaire and his son were lost at sea and millions of pounds and resources were used to search for them (Victor, Jiménez, Bogel-Burroughs). The context provided a powerful back drop to the performances.

Viewer responses included:

“important, urgent, dreamlike, real”; “I think what moved me was the juxtaposition of the dreamlike gentleness of the work with the utter horror of the idea (& reality) of drowning. Seeing it in the week of the terrible capsizing and deaths in the Mediterranean made it almost unbearably poignant”

“The desperation of migration. The way you conveyed the idea of pulling, of being pulled through all the media - the promise & the pull of the oceans their tempting beauty & danger”

“It felt timeless and timely”

Conclusion

Never at Sea successfully encapsulated experiences of erosion and loss in response to the politicisation of people seeking refuge in the United Kingdom. By identifying water as a site of journey, absence, and a place of loss and death, the authors developed an iterative creative process that embraced uncertainty and change, as part of the process, and outcome. Despite the long collaboration between McMillan and Hope, this project brought in further collaborators and non-creative participants for the first time to assist in the creative outcomes. This presented new challenges to the work, but also strengthened the impact of it, and the community around the work. In hindsight, these outcomes could have been documented more successfully with further resources, including a producer to manage the audience engagement and evaluation in the final presentation of the work.  The work will tour to Salisbury Cathedral in summer 2025 where we may be able to learn from this process, and also work with a different community of people.

References

Albano, Caterina. Out of Breath: Vulnerability of Air in Contemporary Art. U of Minnesota Press, 2022.

Archbishop of Canterbury: UK Migration Bill is Morally Wrong. https://apnews.com/article/migration-archbishop-canterbury-english-channel-bill-5cf436c62eaaeb587629b617d6dd2a47 Accessed 18 July 2023

Beake, N (2023) Greece boat disaster: BBC investigation casts doubt on coastguard's claims. BBC News (18 June 2023) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65942426 Accessed 11 March 2025

Barone, T & Eisner, E.W (2012) Arts Based Research. Sage Publications.

Bhattacharya, K (2013) Voices, Silences, and Telling Secrets. The Role of Qualitative Methods in Arts-Based Research. International Review of Qualitative Research 2013 6:4, 604-627 https://doi.org/10.1525/irqr.2013.6.4.

Burrows, D & O’Sullivan, S (2019) Fictioning: The Myth-Functioning of Contemporary Art and Philosophy. University of Edinburgh Press.

Foucault, M. (2001). The order of things (2nd ed.). Routledge.

Griffiths, M; Yeo, C (2021) ‘The UK’s Hostile Environment: Deputising Immigration Control. In Critical Social Policy, 2021, Vol 41 (4) 521-544.

Malchiodi, C. A. (2018). Creative Arts Therapies and Arts-Based Research. In P. Leavy (Ed.), Handbook of Arts-Based Research (pp. 68-87). The Guilford Press.

McMillan, K. (2023). ‘Listening with Our Feet: Decolonial and Feminist Arts-Based Methodologies in Addressing Australian Incarceration Policies on Nauru and Manus Islands’. In: Fuggle, S., Forsdick, C., Massing, K. (eds) Framing the Penal Colony. Palgrave Studies in Crime, Media and Culture. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

Morgan, J., & Castle, S. (2024). Arts–Research Collaboration: Reflections on Collaboration as Creative Method. Qualitative Inquiry, 30(3-4), 291-300. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778004231176280

Nouzeilles, G. (2016). Theaters of Pain: Violence and Photography. PMLA, 131(3), 711–721. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26158872

Pickering, L., & Kara, H. (2017). Presenting and representing others: towards an ethics of engagement. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 20(3), 299–309. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2017.1287875

Qureshi, A; Morris, M; Mort, L (2020) Access Denied: The Human Impact of the Hostile Environment. Institute for Public Policy Research. https://www.ippr.org/research/publications/access-denied Accessed 02 April 2023.

Szörényi, Anna. 2006. “The Images Speak for Themselves? Reading Refugee Coffee-table Books.” Visual Studies 21 (1): 24–41.

Victor, D; Jiménez, J; Bogel-Burroughs, N (2023) ‘Missing Titanic Submersible ‘Catastrophic Implosion’ Likely Killed 5 Aboard Submersible’. New York Times June 22, 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/06/22/us/titanic-missing-submarine Accessed 11 March 2025

Volcler, J., & Volk, C. (2013). Extremely loud : sound as a weapon. New Press, Perseus Distribution.

Appendix

Chronology of Work

1. McMillan approached Hope with some initial ideas about a work responding to the refugee ‘crisis’ in the UK, and the potential of St Mary le Strand as a location for such a work

2. McMillan and Hope developed the artistic concepts further via discussions, including on how low frequency sound can create physical ‘embodied’ effects, commonly experienced when under water.

3. McMillan undertook filming for the work in Perth, Western Australia with four young women/ girls from the local area, including one girl who had been born in Ethopia and had migrated to Australia with her family. McMillan worked with cinematographer Ric Rifici and set some lose parameters for the filming so that shots could be determined by the actor’s comfort levels.

4. McMillan then created a sequence of key shots from the shoot and shared with Hope and Rubinstein. This helped create a foundation for the choreography and initial sound development.

5. Hope and McMillan visited the church together to discuss the format of performance/installation and meet the vicar of the church. 

6. Hope then created a scored orchestral work that explored the themes and tensions of being in/out of water, inspired by the film rushes, with a focus on low frequency sound. This was facilitated by engaging a bass focused orchestral arrangement, performed by the Ruthless Jabiru Orchestra, conducted by Kelly Lovelady, augmented with the Decibel ensemble and Hope on solo bass guitar. The work was scored with graphically notation, using images drawn from wave peaks and underwater current maps. It premiered in the Brunel Tunnel under the Thames, UK.  McMillan attended the rehearsals and contributed creative ideas, in particular around the presentation of the work. (December 2022)

7. Clips from the film shoot, and recordings of the orchestral work were used  as the basis of a series of workshops conducted by McMillan, including Rubinstein, in collaboration with the Lewisham Refugee Resettlement Program and King’s Sanctuary program in March 2023. 10 women who have experienced forced migration attended a series of three-hour workshops. McMillan, Rubinstein and Hope then devised a series of questions/tasks for the workshops, and the outcomes of these workshops inform how all the final elements of the work came together. Key themes that emerged were feelings of loneliness, loss, absence and no longer feeling at home anywhere.

8. McMillan uses stills from the film printed onto silk for a series of prayer cushions that replaced the WRNs cushions in the church, and costumes for the performers.

9. The bass guitar solo part was removed from the recording of the orchestral performance and remixed to provide a sound track for McMillan to edit the film to. (June 2023)

10. McMillan edits a two channel film to the music track. (June 2023)

11. McMillan commissions a table for the project, and sculpts ceramic percussion objects to be performed/set on the table including a ‘listening bowl’, ceramic ears, buttons from WRNS uniforms,  shells and hagstones collected from the Kent coast where migrants have been arriving from France on small boats.

12. Hope creates a live performance score for percussion and soprano voice, using the recording as a fixed media element, to work in conjunction with the final films. 

13. Choreographer Sivan Rubenstein used the edited films and score to create series of movements in the space. Hope and McMillan work on the ‘timeline’ for the live performance in the church.

14. McMillan built screens for the films to be projected on. The larger screen was angled and placed adjacent to the holy water font, and its surface was constructed with torn cardboard. Similarly, the smaller ‘screen’ was in fact a large cardboard sculpture that was built in-situ between two isles. This gave the films a sculptural quality and became an object within the choreography of the dance.

15. Adjustments were made to the score with McMillan’s input.

16. Development was undertaken in the church in the days leading up to the performances, with a focus on choreography, situating the musicians, sculptures, loudspeakers and audience. 

17. A timeline for the work as live performance was established, alongside a structure for the work as an installation.

Peer Reviews

All reviews refer to the original research statement which has been edited in response to what follows

Review 1: Accept submission subject to minor revisions of written statement

In response to the current anti migration political context in the UK, this submission presents a compelling exploration of how art can effectively engage with themes of displacement, border crossing and illegal migration to the UK. Through a practice-based approach, the authors intelligently and skilfully investigate these issues employing a

variety of artistic mediums to examine these themes. The inclusion of films; sculptures; alongside a choreographed performance held at St Mary le Strand Church in June 2023, showcases the complex nature of this artistic inquiry. One significant aspect of the submission is its innovative use of sound as a storytelling device. By incorporating

sounds of the underwater dimension, the authors create a deeply immersive audience experience, adding an additional layer of depth to the exploration of the narratives of migration. This interdisciplinary approach, intersecting evocative and hypnotic visual and sound narrative elements with collaborative community-oriented performances and workshops, contributes to the originality of the study.

The involvement of talents with migratory backgrounds in the filmmaking process, in addition to the support of St Mary le Strand Church, highlights the project’s commitment to social engagement. This aspect of the project clearly demonstrates the potential for art to act as a medium for community engagement and empowerment. The dissemination of the project is a testimony of its positive outcome. While the submission offers insights into the role of immersive art environments in addressing politically divisive topics, as stated in the research question, there are areas that would benefit from further development as outlined below.

The main argument of the research and its broader implications could be articulated in greater depth. Providing a more detailed explanation of how the project contributes to our understanding of practice-research, as well as its potential to inspire further research in the field of cinema of migration, would enhance the scholarly rigour of the written analysis. In further developing the written statement, it might be helpful to examine how existing practice-based works – especially films representing migrants at sea – and academic publications have informed the making of Never at Sea. By doing so, the analysis would demonstrate that the project expands upon existing artistic practices – highlighting its originality within a global context.

The submission would benefit from a more robust theoretical framework, including a discussion on the philosophical approaches underpinning the research and methods of inquiry including participatory filmmaking. Clarifying the intersections between the different artistic outputs in relation to the main research questions would further enhance the scholarly contribution of the project. The authors may wish to focus on women’s filmmaking and representation – which is one of the distinctive strengths of this artistic and humanitarian research project.

Providing a rationale for the focus on women’s experiences of forced migration, supported by relevant literature, would strengthen the theoretical framework of your creative project. A discussion on the way in which women were empowered by working on Never at Sea and how their lives were positively affected and possibly changed

would strengthen the research argument – this includes migrant women and women in the arts working on your project.

The impact of the project on society and communities of refugees, both nationally (and internationally), would benefit from further attention. While the therapeutic discussions with refugee women are a significant aspect of the project, a more detailed investigation of the effect of these workshops on society would strengthen the analysis. Concrete

examples of how Never at Sea has influenced associations and organizations such as St Mary le Strand Church, Lewisham Refugee Resettlement Program, Refugee Council, would offer a more in-depth understanding of the project’s impact on the ‘real-world’. You may wish to clarify the impact of your work on organisations beyond these listed above – this may happen in the future through forthcoming collaborations.

Further development of the written statement is recommended to strengthen its scholarly discussion on research methods, findings and impact. Additionally, a revision of in-text referencing and bibliography following Harvard referencing guidelines is encouraged (for example, making sure that sources are arranged in alphabetical order,

including films you may wish to include in your bibliography).

Overall, Never at Sea demonstrates an inspirational level of innovation and creative courage in its approach to engaging with themes of forced migration from the point of view of women.

Review 2: Invite resubmission with major revisions of practical work and/or written statement.

Kate McMillan's interdisciplinary work Never at Sea blends film, sculpture, performance and sound to evoke the lived experience of women crossing borders by sea in search of sanctuary in Britain. Exploring themes of grief and loss, Never at Sea effectively conveys complex emotions while thoughtfully challenging the politicisation of migrant refugees. The artist's intention to explore the potential of immersive, screen-based art as a medium for creating empathy and fostering multi-layered debate is well articulated throughout the performance. The choice of St Mary Le Strand as a venue is particularly significant, reflecting the dual role of churches as institutions of power and as spaces for community, contemplation and mourning. In addition, the performance's reflection on the absence of the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS) from the sea provides food for thought when considering the motivations and circumstances under which different groups travel (or do not travel) by sea – a critical perspective that merits further exploration.

The originality of Never at Sea lies in its potential to inform critical reflections on how practice-based artistic methods can address the lived experience of forced displacement while contributing to embodied knowledge of the issue. In this regard, further elaboration on how the workshop outcomes were integrated into the final work would strengthen the written statement. For example, the reversal of the pews - so that the audience was facing away from the altar - demonstrates the influence of the workshop participants' expressions of disorientation on the performance design. This particular example highlights the collaborative nature of the creative process and additional details of such integrations would enhance the clarity and impact of the written communication.

The written statement also outlines McMillan's aim to create space for the voices and experiences of other creatives, alongside contributions from workshop participants sharing their lived experiences. The research methodology demonstrates a sensitivity to the structural barriers the women involved face in accessing the workshops. However, while Never at Sea does not primarily focus on the tension between ethics and aesthetics, a brief discussion of this aspect in the methodology section could provide valuable insights. In particular, a deeper exploration of the possibilities and limitations of practice-based methods that rely on collaboration between established artists and migrant-refugee participants would be beneficial. In particular, it would be worth considering the ways in which Never at Sea challenges - or otherwise - conventional participatory research. Expanding on how the performance engages with or subverts traditional notions of artistic authorship, an aspect briefly mentioned in the written statement, could potentially contribute to a more reflective rather than descriptive approach to writing.

Never at Sea is a thought-provoking work, and the written statement could offer a deeper engagement with relevant scholarship on water (and the sea) as a site of movement, absence and loss in the context of forced displacement. For example, Christina Sharpe's In the Wake: On Blackness and Being (2016) examines themes of citizenship and black mortality, offering a critical perspective on the intersection of migration, displacement, and oceanic discourses; and Christian Rossipal's article 'Poetics of Refraction' (2021) explores how artists use documentary methods to address displacement, shedding light on how people with lived experience resist dominant narratives. In summary, Never at Sea is a compelling and significant contribution to its field, but the accompanying written statement would benefit from a deeper engagement with relevant scholarly discourse and further critical reflection on research methodology.

All reviews refer to the original research statement which has been edited in response