A local artist who sculpted more than 750 sand castles, only to have them destroyed by children has shared his environmental message following the First Light Festival.

%image(14664067, type="article-full", alt="Southwold artist, Andy Greenacre with his work ‘Sandscape’ at Lowestoft’s First Light Festival. Picture: Contributed")

Andy Greenacre, 37, from Southwold, sculpted hundreds of sandcastles out single-use plastic packaging over the course of 24-hours.

Drawing from his childhood, Mr Greenacre described his installation piece as "futuristic" and "post-apocolyptic".

The piece was created on Lowestoft's South Beach and shared a strong environmental message on the build up of one-use plastic on the coast.

He said: "Sandscape is an installation of sand using the forms of everyday packaging to create a futuristic landscape that reflects the effect of our current consumerist society.

%image(14664068, type="article-full", alt="Mr Greenacre: "Much of my art is focused on the fun of childhood and memories of my own." Picture: Contributed")

"Each year we create 150 million tons of single use plastic and worldwide only 13pc is recycled. Unlike this sand sculpture the plastic will be around for many years, it won't erode and wash away.

"Much of my art is focused on the fun of childhood and memories of my own. Creating sandcastles with my family is one of these memories.

"Making a landscape on the wonderful white sand of Lowestoft beach using the shapes of waste packaging for First Light seemed like a great way to engage people in the bigger issue of single use plastic but in a fun way," Mr Greenacre said.

As they approached the artwork, festival attendees were asked to choose an item on single use plastic waste packaging for me to use and cast from sand adding each one to the overall sculpture and installation.

%image(14664069, type="article-full", alt="Southwold artist, Andy Greenacre shared a strong environmental message with his work ‘Sandscape’ at Lowestoft’s First Light Festival. Picture: Contributed")

He also offered members of the public to anonymously add their hopes for our future to the beach hut alongside the installation piece, many of which were from children.

After 24-hours straight of sculpting, a young boy looked up at him and asked whether he could destroy the sandcastles.

He rallied together a group of children and they ran onto the artwork together, screaming "no plastics" a poignant moment for the artist.

"I think First Light brought people together. Lowestoft is the starting point of the country - it is First Light," he said.

%image(14664071, type="article-full", alt="Southwold artist, Andy Greenacre shared a strong environmental message with his work ‘Sandscape’ at Lowestoft’s First Light Festival. Picture: Contributed")