Prawn waste designer among arts prize’s London winners

A designer who makes products out of prawn waste is among the winners of a prize for promising artists.

Rhea Thomas, who describes herself as a climate innovator, is one of five recipients of the Arts Foundation’s Futures Awards fellowship.

She won the regenerative design award for her fertilising seed trays, called Seasprout, which are made from prawn leftovers.

The winners were recognised in a ceremony at London’s Southbank Centre.

The foundation’s website said the award recognised “innovative” art by the “most promising artists in the UK at a pivotal moment in their careers”.

The body has been showcasing artists across different disciplines since the early 1990s, and the five awarded the top prize – all from London – will receive £10,000 each, with a further 15 shortlisted artists set to be given £1,000.

Ms Thomas was also recognised for her food packaging material Shrimpak, which is made from chitosan – a sugar derived from the outer skeleton of shellfish.

The Royal College of Art and Imperial College London graduate, who lives and works in London as well as India, New York, and Japan, has previously been recognised by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for her sustainable development work.

Jury member Mirella Di Lorenzo, professor of biochemical engineering at Bath University, called Ms Thomas’s work “compelling”.

“Rhea has a really strong understanding and was able to articulate very clearly the environmental and social benefits of her design interventions,” she said.

Londoners also scooped the other four top prizes – including Cherish Oteka for her short documentary film, composer Daniel Casimir for his jazz composition, Tatenda Shamiso for theatre writing and Rebecca Bellantoni for visual art.

Ms Oteka won a Bafta for best short film in 2022 for The Black Cop, about a former Metropolitan Police officer’s experience on the force, and finished shooting her first feature-length documentary about the Gay Games, which focuses on the athletes, artists, and advocates involved.

Jury member Clare Sillery, BBC head of commissioning for documentaries, said: “In Cherish Oteka I think we have found a compelling and visionary documentary filmmaker.

“We are thrilled to fuel Cherish’s focus and fire as an outstanding creative practitioner.”

Mr Shamiso won the emerging talent award at last year’s Evening Standard Theatre Awards for No ID, a performance about a Black transgender immigrant, and is working on two new plays while developing a television adaptation of his solo show.

Ms Bellantoni performed a rose-inspired performance at the Tate Britain in London and was the winner of the Womxn of Colour Art Award in 2022.

Director of The Arts Foundation, Mary Jane Edwards, said: “The creative ingenuity, determination and focus of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards fellows never ceases to amaze us.

“We have no doubt all the artists and fellows will have a significant impact on our shared cultural life.”