Cragen shot to stardom last year during Visit Wales’ Year of the Sea. She toured Wales visiting some of its most beautiful beaches and coastal settings including festivals and events. Small World Theatre’s giant sea-faring puppet is predicted to appear at Porthcawl with an important clean seas message at 4pm on 16 April 2019. Spectators will gasp at her ingenuity and her size (20m long) as she returns unwanted plastic waste from the sea to the land.
SeaQuest is planning a fun, family event from 1pm – 4pm alongside the performance, with stalls and activities for children during the busy Easter holiday. SeaQuest's team is passionate about delivering Family Beach Discovery sessions and finding ways for families to discover their awesome coast. "We are delighted to have Cragen join us in Porthcawl" says Anne Davidson, SeaQuest leader "the giant creature made from waste plastic and repurposed materials is an inspiration to us all to care for our environment, keep our beaches clean of litter and look after our coastal wildlife".
Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Lord Elis-Thomas said: "The Welsh Government is committed to reducing the use of single use plastics, and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to support this innovative project by the Small World Theatre. Cragen will help raise awareness of the impact of single use plastics and the backdrop of our amazing coastline will be a reminder of the beauty that needs to be kept for future generations."
This project has received funding via the Tourism Product Innovation Fund (TPIF) and supported through the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Welsh Government, the Fund aims to encourage new innovative product ideas working in partnership which will have a greater impact and attract more visitors.
Follow Cragen’s journey on cleanseascragen.wales and share your ‘sighting’ of the sea monster on social media using the hashtags #cleanseascragen #findyourepic #cleanseas.