SEA BEYOND at Prada Rong Zhai: connecting people with the ocean

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO brought a 10-day program of educational activities to Shanghai, China, as part of the SEA BEYOND initiative conducted together with the Prada Group at the historic Prada Rong Zhai residence. The event, held from October 10 until October 19, engaged the local community in ocean preservation and drew 1600 people in its first two days alone. This was also the second stop in China for the traveling Ocean&Climate Village exhibition, which was previously hosted in Qingdao in 2023.

Educational and Artistic Highlights

The program featured a variety of activities aimed at promoting a deeper understanding of the relationship between the ocean and humanity. The Ocean&Climate Village exhibition, developed by the IOC, was hosted in the Ballroom, where visitors learned about topics such as marine biodiversity, climate science, ocean acidification, and rising sea levels. Student volunteers from East China Normal University, Shanghai Ocean University, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University guided visitors through the exhibition. The exhibition was supported by the First Institute of Oceanography (FIO) and the UN Decade Collaborative Centre on the Ocean-Climate Nexus (DCC-OCC).

Open-air screenings of documentaries, including “Kindergarten of the Lagoon” and “Deep White Forests,” were held in the garden, highlighting projects supported by SEA BEYOND. The exhibition also featured a selection of photographs by Emmy-nominated environmental photographer Enzo Barracco.

Thematic Talks

A series of thematic talks, livestreamed on Tencent Channels, brought together experts from science, arts, and the private sector. Francesca Santoro, IOC Senior Program Officer, joined Dr. Fangli Qiao, Deputy Director General of the First Institute of Oceanography, and Philip Tinari, Director of UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, to discuss the global mission of ocean literacy and cross-sector collaborations.

In a conversation on "Ocean literacy and global collaboration," Dr. Fangli Qiao emphasized the ocean's vital role in sustaining life and the importance of engaging all stakeholders in communication: "The ocean plays a vital role in sustaining life on Earth: it regulates the climate, provides food and livelihoods, supports biodiversity, and drives the global economy. It is essential for sustainable development."

A second talk, "Emotions, storytelling, and ocean protection," featured Japanese ichthyologist SAKANA-KUN, who noted that "sharing knowledge empowers children, who will lead the next generation, to learn. Projects like SEA BEYOND are not just about today, they connect to the future through ocean education."

In the third talk, "Photography's role in climate awareness", Emmy-nominated environmental photographer Enzo Barracco discussed the importance of visual art in promoting ocean conservation with Francesca Santoro. Enzo commented: "Photography has the power to communicate a very complex story. Its stillness and its silence move you and create a very strong connection between the image and the audience. If you see, you care. If you see, you act. If you see, you think differently."

Educational Workshops

Young visitors were engaged in educational workshops that blended science, art, and ocean awareness through lively, hands-on experiences. During the opening days, children explored ocean pollution and its impact on marine life (“Ocean kaleidoscope: rescue the whale”), learned how sea level rise affects both marine and human ecosystems and discovered nature-based solutions (“Land and sea: mini-ecosystems”), and got to know the most iconic fish species in Chinese waters through live drawing and storytelling by SAKANA-KUN (“Secrets of the Sea: A Journey into the World of Fish”).

 Among the participants were a group of elementary school students from Guizhou, an inland province of China. Thanks to SEA BEYOND, they traveled to Shanghai with their teachers to experience the seaside for the first time, bringing them closer to ocean knowledge and marine culture.