THE vision of an international collaborative art project has been floated - quite literally - in the waves off Yarmouth.Under grey skies on a rain-lashed central beach, a small group gathered to watch students launch more than 60 bamboo containers into the churning sea.

THE vision of an international collaborative art project has been floated - quite literally - in the waves off Yarmouth.

Under grey skies on a rain-lashed central beach, a small group gathered to watch students launch more than 60 bamboo containers into the churning sea.

Each contained a sketch of some aspect of the coastline around Yarmouth with an invitation to the recipient of the eco-friendly “message in a bottle” to send back artwork inspired by the coastal environments where they live.

The idea has been inspired by the marine charity CoastNet's Holding Back the Tide project and it is hoped that it will lead to an exhibition at the resort's Time and Tide Museum.

Teachers Geoff Litchfield and Mark Wood have co-ordinated the project through an arts network involving students at Yarmouth College and Yarmouth, Cliff Park, Oriel and Caister high schools.

Mr Litchfield said: “Doing sketches on a piece of A4 paper, the students have focused on the port area of Yarmouth, reflecting on the changes taking place. On the back is a template for the person who finds it to do their own drawing and send it back.

“This is being supported by Time and Tide museum and it needs time and tide to work. We don't know what response we will get, how long it will take or where the bamboo containers will end up. There is an indefinable end to the project which is quite poetic.”

He said he hoped yesterday's would be just the first “wave” of messages in a bottle sent out to sea.

Colin Stott, the museum's learning manager, said they had studied the tides to ensure the containers would not just be deposited back on shore.

“It is probable they will drift south down the east coast, perhaps coming ashore in Essex, but we hope some may get across to Holland,” he said.

CoastNet representative Theresa Redding, who watched on the beach, said the art project was a great way of getting young people to think about their coastal environment.

It fitted the philosophy of CoastNet's Holding Back the Tide project which set out to increase understanding of coastal issues, from climate change and erosion to social and economic forces.

Yarmouth College student Andrew Booth, 17, said: “I think it is a brilliant idea using an old-fashioned way to communicate with people in other countries.”

It is hoped there will be enough replies to allow a display showing both the local and received artwork with information about where the containers were washed up.