Congratulations to past Haumea Ecoversity Ecoliteracy course participant curator Shannon Carroll for planning an important afternoon seminar at the 2023 Kilkenny Festival on why the Irish language is vital to help us live well with our ecologies.
Shannon is working for the ‘Kilkenny Arts Office and The Emerging Curator Development Programme as a part of the Kilkenny Arts Festival.
They are ‘excited to invite you to Returning to the Earth / Ag Filleadh ar an Talamh with guest speakers visual artist Deirdre O’Mahony, and author of Irish and Ecology / An Ghaeilge agus Éiceolaíocht Michael Cronin, at 3 pm on Friday the 11th of August at Rothe House, Kilkenny.
Shannon ‘is a curator whose research focuses on ecological art practice. Her work explores and questions our relationship to the natural world, with reading, writing and conversation as key elements informing her practice. As a Gaeilgeoir, she is also interested in how Ireland’s native language can offer us alternative perspectives of nature, providing further insight into our connection with natural environments. The outcomes of her research are project dependent, including curating exhibitions, commissioning artworks, organising events, lecturing, writing and publishing.’
I’m thrilled for Shannon and also delighted to know that my mention of Prof Michael Cronin’s work – particularly his book Irish and Ecology, in our Haumea Essential Ecoliteracy course has led to this much-needed conversation.
In a coincidence, I will be co-hosting a seminar ‘A Quickening Holism: Creativity as An Act of Love’ with Prof Michael Cronin, eco poet and writer Grace Wells and painter and Gaeilgeoir Phoebe Cope, 21 Sept for IMMA’s 2nd Earth Rising Festival as we feel strongly that reindigenising ourselves to place, caring for our environments, is activated by language & wisdom that has arisen from our lived places (as I was born in NZ, I’ll touch on Māori customs that help all New Zealanders appreciate ecological wisdom through spoken greetings).
Shannon first approached me for advice during her MA before she joined our Ecoliteracy course (I now regularly offer mentoring for art researchers like Shannon and other creative and cultural professionals ) Shannon has since, with the Lab Gallery Dublin, developed a wonderful ecological art practice resource for high school Speaking of Which, 2nd level art teachers and innovative, engaging exhibitions and climate cafe conversations on important ecological topics.
Congratulations again Shannon. And thank you, it is so fantastic that you are so successfully curating conversations on what matters most.
Our next Haumea Essential Ecoliteracy course begins in Oct:
Hello! Kia Ora! My name
is Cathy Fitzgerald.
I’m a New
Zealander, living in rural
Ireland, the home of my ancestors, these past 25 years. Since 2019, I have offered ecoliteracy training to 250+ creative professionals in Ireland and internationally.
“In these urgent times, I’m passionate
about bringing ecoliteracy including
new ecological thinking, values,
language and head-heart-body
practices in empowering
transformative learning
to the creative and wider cultural
sector. Creative and cultural sector
professionals have a crucial
leadership role if informed and
supported. They can employ their
social inclusivity and creativity skills
to inspire diverse communities to
envision and embrace new
understandings, values and actions
for a more beautiful and just world.
Dr Cathy Fitzgerald
Ecological artist for the ongoing Hollywood Forest Story (begun 2008), Advisor for Creative Drummin Carlow Bog project, Accredited ESD* Earth Charter educator | researcher | advisor & mentor.
In 2022, Cathy was nominated by Earth Charter International, UNESCO Chair for ESD as Earth Charter Focal Point Communicator for Ireland.
*ESD is the UN-mandated shift in global formal and lifelong learning toward Education for Sustainable Development
