YOUNG creative professionals and a media student came together at Craven Arts House in Skipton to create a mesmerising, innovative video to accompany singer songwriter Sarah Smout's new single 'At Sea'.

Sarah, digital artist Virpi Kettu, of Kettu Studios, videographer Billy White and Craven College student Teddy Cook joined forces to create the video at the Otley Road centre, using cutting edge technology, Generative AI, which allowed the team to explore new ways in visual storytelling.

At Sea remembers a choppy sea journey between Shetland and the Faroes that Sarah took on her way to Iceland, and uses metaphoric language around being 'tethered and floating'.

The song holds multiple meanings for Sarah, who suffered a miscarriage earlier in the year; her musical companion on the journey, Sophie was pregnant at the time, and they were both clipped onto the boat - umbilical cord like - so as not to fall into the sea.

The Craven Arts House was transformed as the team worked on re-creating the story about a boat and long sea journey, brining together live-action elements and digital effects resulting in a video work of art that perfectly complements the music.

Sarah said: "I was so excited to work with Kettu Studios. It was a new experience for me, from filming the green screen footage, to waiting for the various trial runs through the AI software. I think what we have ended up with encapsulates the feelings of the song, which are personal and universal, about being connected and disconnected to nature or to ourselves.

"There is a calming but also powerful quality to the imagery, which I think holds vulnerability and strength at the same time. For me, nature has always carried me back to myself, it has always brought me home.”

"This is a song about being at the mercy of wind and tides, and completely giving yourself over to nature; or, in another way, giving yourself over to the upheaval of grief, being at sea with it, and eventually reaching an acceptance.

"Either way, it carries with it important messages of grief, loneliness, survival and healing through nature; and raising women’s voices in times of struggle, as far too often they are unheard, leading to isolation and disembodiment."

Videographer Billy White added: "It was a privilege to be involved in making the video for Sarah's beautiful song.

"This project was unusual in that we had no idea of how the footage would look in the end. It was exciting seeing Virpi transform it into something more abstract and personal. I love how it pairs with the song to convey Sarah's epic journey, despite all being filmed right here in Skipton and no sea was in sight!”

View At Sea at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKFBQuPESmg