Art / ss Great Britain
SS Great Britain’s Dry Dock to host Ocean Photographer of the Year
From April to June, Bristol’s number one tourist attraction, the SS Great Britain, is preparing to welcome the 2025 photographic exhibition Ocean Photographer of the Year.
The collection of 116 marine images is currently on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum, and Bristol will become only the second European venue to host this major showcase.
Since the Dockyard Museum is set to be closed for temporary redevelopment from mid-February to mid-July, the exhibition will be staged under the so-called ‘glass sea’ in the Dry Dock.
Romain Barats, 2025 Ocean Photographer of the Year – photo: © the artist
Citing the importance of this space for the Trust’s conservation work, they point to its temperature-controlled environment, which serves to preserve the ship’s original hull.
“It makes a fitting and atmospheric backdrop for the stunning images which showcase the diversity, beauty and – crucially – the vulnerability of our marine ecosystems.”
Image taken in the Pulau Suanggi islands, Banda Sea, Indonesia, part of the 2025 Ocean Photographer of the Year – photo: © Aaron Sanders.
Other spring innovations at the home of Brunel’s propeller-driven steamship – which circumnavigated the globe 32 times in the 19th century – are designed with families in mind.
A Superhero Engineers trail will be launching over February half term, and there will be Crazy Capes and Marvellous Masks craft workshops taking place in the First-Class Dining Saloon.
Superhero Engineers – illustration: Alisa Burrows
And for the most intrepid of visitors, newly announced opportunities will invite those with a head for heights to climb the 25m rigging of the historic ship.
Andrew Edwards is chief executive of the SS Great Britain Trust. “These programming decisions are instrumental to the latest bold chapter in SS Great Britain’s story”, he notes, “reflecting our commitment to engaging audiences in fresh, innovative ways while honouring our status as an icon of engineering and maritime heritage.”
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The Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025 exhibition will be displayed in the SS Great Britain’s Dry Dock from April-June. Superhero Engineers will run from February half term until March 22. Admission to the exhibition and the engineers trail will be included in ticket prices; climbing tickets are extra.
Visit www.ssgreatbritain.org or follow @ssgreatbritain for news and updates about special events and late openings.
The newly redeveloped Dockyard Museum will be opening in mid-July.
Main photo: ‘Ladybugs of the sea’ © Yury Ivanov, Bali – overall winner, 2025 Ocean Photographer of the Year
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