Drawing for Change: Our Sand Drawing in Blackpool for Plan International UK
Yesterday, we took to the sands of Blackpool Beach to create a very special sand drawing in Blackpool for Plan International UK — a piece made to mark the clocks going back this weekend and to shine a light on the importance of equality for girls everywhere.
Plan UK say
They won’t stand by as their rights are rewound, progress is paused and their voices silenced.
Across the world we’re seeing a push back against women and girls’ rights: from bans on girls education, to restrictions on abortion rights and rising online misogyny targeting women and girls. The rights and freedoms hard won over generations are now under threat.
The clocks may be going back this weekend, but we won’t clock out of the fight for girls rights!
Working against the tide (literally!), our team arrived before dawn to start sketching out the design on the beach. As the first rays of sunlight spread across the sand, the image began to take shape — a powerful message from Plan International UK calling for a world where girls have the same opportunities as boys to learn, lead, decide, and thrive.
A Message in the Sand
At Sand in Your Eye, we believe that art can be a voice — one that speaks to people on an emotional level and helps them see familiar places in new ways. Creating this huge sand drawing on Blackpool’s iconic shoreline was a way for us to help amplify Plan International UK’s message in a natural, human way.
Ephemeral Art, Lasting Impact
Like all our sand drawings, this one was only ever meant to last a few hours before the tide came in and washed it away. That’s part of the beauty of it — the work is fleeting, but the message endures.
It was amazing to see the artwork from above as the sun rose, and to know that, even as the sea reclaimed the sand, thousands of people would still see the image through photographs and film — helping Plan International UK spread their important message far beyond the beach.
Creating with Purpose
We’re always proud to work with organisations like Plan International UK, who use creativity and compassion to make the world a better place. Art can’t change everything on its own, but it can spark conversations, emotions, and moments of reflection — and that’s where change begins.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by on the promenade to watch, and to the brilliant team at Plan International UK for inviting us to be part of this inspiring project.
Until the next tide,
Jamie, Claire, and the Sand in Your Eye team
Sand Art
On beaches, large-scale ephemeral drawings are created using rakes or sticks, visible from cliffs or drones. Sand drawings take around 4-6 hours to create and only last a short while before being taken by the tide. Our drone pilots capture the work before nature erases it. We love working on beaches, in nature and with incredible clients such as the team at Plan UK. This sand drawing was created in the dark to be revealed as the sun came up. Drawing in the dark has its own unique set of challenges, but we love to push the boundaries of what we can create. We are very happy with this sand drawing and the artwork we created for it. Our talented in house illustrator created the drawing based on ideas generated from our meetings with Plan UK and then we transferred the design using rakes onto the beach. Blackpool beach was rather rippled, but we think it adds to the texture.
