Message in a Bottle Parade

The Watt Institution joins international art project THE HERDS with the ‘Message in a Bottle’ Parade on the 7^th June.

The event marks the start of Great Big Green Week and the launch of the Inverclyde STEAM Festival 2025

Join us on Saturday 7^th June from 12.30pm to 3.00pm at Lunderston Bay for a spectacular celebration of creativity and climate action as The Watt Institution unveils its beach puppet parade ‘Message in a Bottle’.

This free family event launches the Inverclyde STEAM Festival 2025 and marks the beginning of Great Big Green Week, the UK’s biggest celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature. It’s a day for all ages to come together to learn and be inspired to care for the planet.

There will be a puppet parade featuring animals native to the River Clyde, including a bottlenose dolphin, a black-headed gull and Norway Lobster. These large puppets have been made by The Watt Institution using plastic waste collected from local shores, transformed into 3D-printing filament to create key components.

Pupils from Inverkip Primary, Moorfoot Primary and St John’s Primary have worked closely with The Watt Institution to create their own puppets using recycled plastic bottles, which they will carry in the parade. Alongside these creations, children will also carry banners with their own personal pledges to protect the planet.

In addition to the puppet parade, the event will also feature interactive storytelling, family-friendly activities, and STEAM-themed stalls hosted by the Inverclyde STEAM Festival, offering fun, hands-on ways to explore science, innovation and sustainability.

This exciting event reflects The Watt Institution’s commitment to creative learning, environmental responsibility, and community collaboration.

Message in a Bottle is part of THE HERDS, an ambitious new international public art and climate action project supported by Art Fund UK. THE HERDS brings together more than one hundred life-sized animal puppets made from recycled materials, travelling from Africa to the Arctic to raise awareness of global environmental challenges.