From Scrap Metal to a Giant Fish: Our Project for Fringe by the Sea
How Forge and Equip, Balanced Horizon and Caledonian Horticulture came together to create a giant recycled fish with a purpose
From piles of reclaimed steel in our East Linton workshop to a giant 3-metre-high fish at Fringe by the Sea, this has been one of our most unique and most exciting fabrication projects yet!
The large sculpture is turning heads in North Berwick.
Measuring an impressive 3 metres high and 6.2 metres long, the fish has been designed and fabricated by Forge and Equip in collaboration with Balanced Horizon, an environmental charity working to restore biodiversity and ecosystems across sea, coast and land.
But this isn't just a giant metal fish.
It has a job to do.
Feed the fish!
The sculpture has been created for Fringe by the Sea to encourage festival-goers to think about recycling and dispose of their drinks cans responsibly.
Visitors can “feed the fish” by putting their empty aluminium cans through its mouth, turning recycling into something fun and interactive.
And because every fish needs a name, we're also asking festival-goers to help us choose one!
If you've got a great idea, send your suggestion to @ForgeandEquip on social media or email info@forgeandequip.co.uk.
From reclaimed steel to something spectacular
One of the things we love about fabrication is seeing what can be created from materials that might otherwise be overlooked.
The fish was constructed almost entirely from reclaimed steel and nets found during beach clean ups. Over a few weeks, the Forge and Equip workshop became a hive of cutting, shaping, welding and assembling as the different sections gradually came together.
What started as piles of scrap metal eventually became something much bigger, quite literally!
The finished sculpture is a great example of what can happen when practical skills, creativity and reused materials come together to create something with a real purpose.
And there is something particularly fitting about creating a giant recycled fish for a festival beside the sea.
A fish with a bigger purpose
For us at Forge and Equip, this project is about more than simply producing a finished piece of metalwork.
Our commercial fabrication work is an important part of how we create social impact.
Forge and Equip is a social enterprise. Alongside our professional welding and metal fabrication services, we run supportive practical training programmes and workshops for people facing barriers to employment.
The income we generate through commercial work helps us build and sustain opportunities for people to develop practical skills, confidence and experience.
So when we take on a commercial fabrication project, the impact doesn't necessarily stop when the customer receives the finished product.
The work helps us build a sustainable social enterprise that can create opportunities for people who might otherwise struggle to access practical training and employment.
In other words, the work we sell commercially helps us create the opportunities we provide socially.
We think that's a pretty good reason to build something big!
A collaboration with a shared purpose
The project came about through our collaboration with Balanced Horizon, and it has been fantastic to work with an organisation whose environmental aims connect closely with our own values around sustainability and reuse.
Daniel Melo da Silva, founder of Forge and Equip, said:
“We love creating projects that bring people together while giving new life to materials that would otherwise go to waste. This fish shows what can be achieved with imagination, practical skills and collaboration. We hope people enjoy interacting with it while thinking a little more about recycling.”
Tommy Dale, Managing Director of Caledonian Horticulture, said:
“We are delighted with the fish! We knew Forge and Equip would do a superb job on this and we really hope it becomes a talking point as we continue to help make Fringe by the Sea more environmentally friendly year by year.”
And the recycling doesn't stop at the fish
The fish is only one part of the recycling story.
Caledonian Horticulture is supporting the recycling element of the project by covering the costs and providing the resources needed to collect and process the recyclable drinks containers.
Even better, any money raised through the cup deposit return scheme will be donated to Balanced Horizon to help fund the Scottish Coastal Clean Up.
That means the project creates an environmental chain that goes beyond the festival itself:
It's a great example of how different organisations can bring their resources, skills and expertise together to create a bigger impact than any one organisation could achieve alone.
Making recycling part of the festival
It is hoped the fish sculpture will help festival goers to dispose of their waste responsibly both at the events and beyond.
The fish has also been designed to be a memorable photo opportunity for visitors of all ages.
We hope it will make people smile, encourage a few photos and, most importantly, get people thinking about what happens to the things they throw away.
Because recycling doesn't have to be boring.
Sometimes it can be a 6.2-metre-long metal fish!
Special thanks to the comprehensive drivers of East Lothian and all those who helped transport the fish!
A fantastic team safely delivered the fish.
Come and find our fish
If you're heading to Fringe by the Sea, look out for our giant fish.
📸 Take a photo.
🥫 Feed it your empty cans.
🐟 And help us give it a name!
Send your fish name suggestions to @ForgeandEquip on social media or email info@forgeandequip.co.uk.
And if you are a business, organisation or community group looking for welding, or a bespoke fabrication project, we'd love to hear from you.
The fish occupied our workshop for a few days!