‘Emerging Futures’ – A Cultural Remapping
Recognising the need for an urgent and deep cultural shift towards more equitable and sustainable ways of life… across the country we’re seeing a growing interest in cooperative and social enterprise, community and renewable energy, co-housing, local food, arts and cultural activists events, embracing the emerging collaborative and solidarity economy… we wanted to enable participation by bringing these conversations to Galway.
As part of the nationwide Sustainable Living Festival 2015 and Cooperative Convergence, organised by Cultivate, Third Space co-hosted a number of cultural conversations on Friday 30th October in the Galway 2020 Community Hub, Galway.
‘Join us for a day of community culture, activist’ stories, a participatory ideas workshop and harvest dinner celebrating local food and community gardening.’ The days events welcomed participation from everyone in Galway committed to creating a more equitable and sustainable future. We invited diverse perspectives and contributions from young people, students, grassroots, arts and cultural activists, environmentalists, SME’s, local institutions, government and community networks.
Everyone welcome and admission free of charge.
From 11am to 5pm – Emerging Futures’ is a participatory ideas workshop exploring transformative processes, civic and cultural agency and Change Making, facilitated by Martina Finn, Kevin Flanagan and Davie Philip, where members of the public were invited to join in dialogue answering the question – ‘How can Galway embrace more participatory co-operative politics and approaches, in support of the transition to a more equitable and sustainable way of life?’ Throughout the day we aimed to create a space from which to explore the existing structures of participation and cooperation and actively produce new ones, presenting artist Seoidin O’Sullivan’s commons installation, ‘Seating System’ as a central public platform and interactive site which aimed to serve as a place of co-creation, co-intelligence and commoning as part of an ongoing participatory art project on the commons by Third Space.
In the morning guest speakers invited to share insights and inspiration from local community and cultural projects such as Community Workers Coop, An Meitheal Rothar, Galway City Community Network, Third Space, Transition Galway, One World Centre, G126, LARC, Galway Dance Coop and many others.
After lunch there was dialogue and debate using ‘World Cafe’ to explore what are the collective and transformative actions we as a community can take.
Participants include;
– Martina Finn (Third Space) – www.thirdspacegalway.ie
– Mary Rose Healy – www.loughreatownhall.com
– Bernadette Divilly – www.bernadettedivilly.com/
– Kevin Flanagan (P2P Foundation) – www.p2pfoundation.net
– Davie Philip (Cultivate; Cloughjordan Ecovillage) – www.cultivate.ie, www.thevillage.ie
– Nuala Ni Fhlathuin – Artist and editor – nuaealain.wordpress.com
– Ann Irwin – www.galwaycitycommunitynetwork.ie
– Vicky Donnelly – Galway One World Centre – www.galwayowc.org
– Eleftheria Papamichali – ‘Challenging the Crisis’ – www.challengingthecrisis.com
– Lucy Elvis Chair 126 Artist led gallery – www.126.ie
– Jamie Gorman (Community Workers’ Co-operative) – www.cwc.ie
– Paul O’Donnell (An Mheitheal Rothar Galway’s Bike Workshop) – www.facebook.com/AnMheithealRothar
“Co-operative Salon – A Halloween Harvest Feast”
17:30 – Music by the ever mesmerising, ever inspiring Donal McConnon of ‘My Fellow Sponges’ and others through out the evening
From 6pm – 9pm – The Halloween Harvest Feast is a convivial and family friendly gathering to celebrate Galway’s local food and culture, showcasing culinary produce from local farms and community gardens, cooked by some of Galway’s finest artisan establishments.
The events are part of the nationwide Cooperative Convergence 2015 organised by Cultivate, and co-hosted in partnership with Third Space, Collaborative Ways, Transition Galway, Galway City Community Network, Galway 2020, Galway City Partnership, CKI NUIG and Sheridans Cheesemongers.
