Whatever Floats Your Boat was a community co-creation project led by artist Jan Frith as part of The D-Day Story’s celebration of LGBTQ+ History Month and International Women’s Day in Portsmouth.  The project was made possible by Lottery Players with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and resulted in a colourful series of mini landing craft tank (LCT) ships, as a month long installation in the former fuel compartment of Landing Craft Tank-7074. 

Various workshops were held at the museum with the 4U youth group and the Community Champions group run by Stop Domestic Abuse in partnership with the British Red Cross.   They reflected on the extreme challenges faced at D-Day, shared their own experiences and challenges of discrimination and abuse, and were encouraged to turn their stories into really positive self-expressions, based on the rather less known use of LCT-7074 as a former sixties nightclub. No questions were asked and no judgements were made as they gave the flotilla of laser cut LCT models striking visual makeovers, gently connecting the past with the present. 

On 8th March 2022 a special concluding event celebrated International Women’s Day along with the many people who have helped make LCT-7074 welcoming and accessible since it was first restored and launched to the public in May 2021.

More project information and video - The D-Day Story

"It is the artist's genius thinking and creative practice which met and exceeded the brief" - Daniel, Community Participation Officer - Portsmouth City Council.

© Images and text Jan Frith