Large-scale artwork transforms Plymouth coastline to explore legacy of The Mayflower

4th September 2020

An incredible new art installation, ‘Speedwell’, is now on display in Plymouth. 

Standing at 63m long and 6m high, ‘Speedwell’ has transformed the Mount Batten Breakwater into a public forum for discussion and debate about the impact and legacy of the Mayflower ship’s journey, colonialism and the ecological state of our planet during the 400th anniversary commemorations.

Created by local artist collective Still/Moving, ‘Speedwell’ was funded by Arts Council England and Plymouth Culture as part of the Mayflower 400 commemorations.

‘Speedwell’ will use illuminated signage comprising 3,723 LED lights invites viewers complex questions about themselves, the damaged planet and the legacy of the pivotal journeys made by the Mayflower and its companion ship the Speedwell. It offers multiple readings; constantly shifting between words that are lit up and questioning the historic conceit that there ever was a ‘New World’. The artwork will remain illuminated through September, October and November of 2020.

The installation is inspired by the events of 1620 when passengers on board the Mayflower set sail to settle in what they called the ‘New World’, a world already home to indigenous people. Speedwell, the companion ship intended to sail alongside the Mayflower, was unable to make the journey across the Atlantic. Some of its passengers were therefore forced to return to England and find ways to make peace with the place they sought to escape.

In response, ‘Speedwell’ asks visitors to imagine new worlds of living, caring and dying well together and invites visitors to add their own voices in response to the sculpture in person or online.  

Still/Moving artist Léonie Hampton said: "In response to the Mayflower 400 commemorative programme, Still/Moving wanted to find a way to offer audiences an open invitation to stop, think and talk about the damage in the world. The voyage of the Mayflower, Speedwell and what we have learnt in the 400 years since they set sail, give an opportunity to reflect and find better ways to understand the impact of those pivotal voyages and the ongoing colonial process”.

Dr Stephanie Pratt who consulted on the project said: “It is especially important to me that Speedwell’s No New Worlds installation acknowledges the presence of the Indigenous Peoples of North America for some 12,000 years before Europeans came to their lands. As one of the most visible public works this autumn, Speedwell’s illuminated messages question what it means to commemorate, and I welcome this addition to the Mayflower commemoration in Plymouth".

Adrian Vinken OBE, Chair of Mayflower 400, said: “In exploring all aspects of the Mayflower story, and particularly its passengers being part of the intensive colonisation of America, projects like Speedwell shed light on an important and often neglected fact of history…that people with rich societies and culture had lived there as successful custodians of their natural environment for thousands of years before the Mayflower’s arrival. The Speedwell and other Mayflower 400 projects together aim to present a rounded picture of all aspects of the remarkable Mayflower story and its legacies”.

Speedwell was created by Still/Moving, an artist collective of Laura Hopes, Martin Hampton and Léonie Hampton who developed the concept through a collaborative process with experts and representatives of the indigenous peoples of North America. This includes Dr Stephanie Pratt, a descendent of the Dakota (Sioux) Nation, whose guidance ensured the representation of the indigenous peoples of North America in the work.

The commission is part of Mayflower 400, a four-nation programme to commemorate and explore the 400 year anniversary of the journey and impact of one of history’s most famous ships. Marking a step-change from previous commemorations and in recognition that their involvement is critical in understanding the history and legacy of the Mayflower, collaborative projects with the Wampanoag and wider Native American nations are central to the Mayflower 400 programme.