This special event invited participants to join on a walk along the early stages of the Avonbeg river in the Glenmalure Valley guided by poet Jane Clarke, ecologist Faith Wilson, photographer & filmmaker Finn Richards and our architectural team Phoebe Brady & Sarah Doheny. We walked with the river as it begins its journey to the sea, imagining it as a living being, to be treated with respect and care. We tuned into our surroundings and listen to the river through sonic meditations and field recording techniques.
The project is an ongoing and with the Catchment Collective we will develop a series of socially engaged arts workshops along the rivers of County Wicklow and their associated landscapes.
THE RIVER ALIVE
Jane recited a sequence of poems inspired by the river, the dramatic landscape and local history. Faith shared her knowledge of the species and habitats living along the river, describing their relationship to the river. We discussed the importance of the woodland and riparian planting to slow water run-off, intercept nutrient discharge from the surrounding slopes and to provide shading for water life. She introduced ongoing projects that support and protect the woodland areas in the area.
Cineál led participants in making an in-situ collaborative drawing of the valley - a study to document and record biodiversity, water quality and the impact of human activity on the river. Finn recorded the walk and activities of the group with a view to expressing the importance of the individual and collective acts that can protect and restore the heritage and environmental health of our waterways.
All photography by Finn Richards
Supported by Wicklow County Council & the East Wicklow Rivers Trust.
