The Firth Futures studio is centred geographically on the Moray Firth in the Highlands of Scotland, specifically coastal sites between Findhorn and Helmsdale where terrestrial and marine lifeworlds intertwine and where normal divides between land and water deserve to be re-signified. The studio examines the physical landscapes, natures and waterworlds of the Moray Firth across a range of locations and scales, looking at sites where various interests are intensified from the outside in (at the bioregional and hydroterritorial scale) but also from the inside out, examining the microscopic, the material and the miniature.

Examining the cultural, economic, environmental and material nature of sites from an eco-critical perspective, the studio seeks to define positive change for these unique coastal localities and the communities of human’s and more-than-humans that reside within them. Firth futures requires consideration of the intersection of public and private concerns around the Moray Firth and how they manifest on the coastal margins. Giving thought to the cultural significance of Firth environments in Scotland and what their futures might hold in the climate and biodiversity crisis, the studio’s quest: to ultimately draw out and draw upon the agentive capacities of vital waters and fluid natures.

People wearing outdoor clothes have their backs to us and they are on a boat on the sea. They are speeding towards two oil rigs in the distance. The sky is blue.

Top image: Firth Futures students exploring the Cromarty Firth by sea – looking towards the Soutars of Cromarty, by Lisa Mackenzie, October 2025