Minster Catherine Martin T.D. launches EARTH RISING at IMMA

The Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht, Catherine Martin T.D., yesterday (Thursday 5 September), launched EARTH RISING, a dynamic three-day festival dedicated to addressing the climate crisis through art, creativity, and community. From Friday 20 to Sunday 22 September 2024, in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin, EARTH RISING will transform IMMA’s grounds into a vibrant hub of free events designed to inspire collective action towards a sustainable future. The festival offers a rich programme of talks, exhibitions, workshops, outdoor screenings, food, artists salon, music and an Eco Fair, all free to the public.  

Speaking at the launch, Minister Catherine Martin, said “EARTH RISING is an important national event that aligns with Ireland’s commitment to addressing the climate crisis through culture and community engagement. The climate crisis requires a unified response, and EARTH RISING serves as a platform where community can come together to share ideas, collaborate, and take collective action. It is through community engagement that sustainable change can be achieved and it is this collective spirit that strengthens community bonds and amplifies the impact of individual actions”.  

Annie Fletcher, Director of IMMA said “The original vision for EARTH RISING was simple: to create a space where art meets activism, where the public can engage with artists and thinkers to explore how we might build a more sustainable and thriving future. Today, it has become a vibrant creative assembly for everyone who cares deeply about the future of our planet. This festival not only highlights the urgency of the climate crisis but also demonstrates how creativity can inspire action and foster a shared sense of responsibility.” 

The festival programme offers a diverse array of events, including over 100 artists and collaborators who will showcase their work via performances, installations, screenings, workshops, tours, and a talks programme supported by Research Ireland. Programme highlights include an installation and talk by Sakiya, a progressive academy for experimental knowledge production and sharing around local farming in Ramallah, Palestine; a climate comedy workshop with Anne Gill and Diane O’Connor; speed dating to find your ‘Soil Mate’ to connect garden owners with gardenless growers; Project Dandelion workshops hosted by the Mary Robinson Centre; a climate-based mixed reality experience by Andrew McSweeney; a spoken word poetry event focusing on nature, ecology and climate taking place on Culture Night, to name a few!  

Special collaborations include a Slow Tour Concert brought to IMMA by the Goethe Institut Ireland featuring musician LIE NING who is travelling across Europe by train and ferry, as part of a resource-efficient concert tour. Also, a discussion exploring the living national artwork The Forest That Won’t Forget which evolved from a collaboration between artist’s John Conway and Fiona Whelan and 221+ (organisation supporting individuals directly affected by failures in the CervicalCheck Screening programme) and Hometree.  

Creative Ireland is supporting several projects including Demolition Takedown, a large-scale installation situated in IMMA’s Courtyard that creatively displays the scale of waste. The installation aims to encourage action on reducing construction and demolition waste in Ireland. Creative Ireland also supports the Purpose Disruptors: The Good Life 2030, an initiative that invites the advertising industry and the public to envision a future where sustainability and well-being take centre stage, and Tern the Tide an initiative by artists Marie Gordon and Laura McMahon to raise awareness of the NSPW Little Tern conservation work along the Dublin-Rosslare Railway Line.  

The festival programme is available on the EARTH RISING FESTIVAL APP, which can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play.   

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS  

EARTH RISING EXHIBITON: Take a Breath is a major exhibition that provides an historical, social, political, and personal examination of breathing – why we breathe, how we breathe and what we breathe – exploring themes of decolonisation, environmental racism, indigenous language, the impact of war on the environment and breath as meditation. Guided tours of Take a Breath will take place during the festival.  

EARTH RISING Artists – Over 100 artists and collaborators will showcase their work across the weekend. Highlights include outdoor art installations including a willow installation Live and Let Rot by Ellen Harrold, and Glassophere a glass sculpture addressing the global water crisis by Claire Halpin and Madeleine Hellier. A dance performance Body’s in Trouble; moth releasing events with nocturnal field recordings made onsite from Sarah Rose; and Fuinneamh Community Drum will host workshops for all ages on their 14 foot drum in the meadow. Upcycling and recycling workshops along with nature themed memory and board games for kids, foraging, hedgerow planting, a Compost Carnival and much more!  

This year EARTH RISING presents an Artists Salon that brings climate action artists and scientists together to learn about their ideas, how they make their work and the different approaches they take to address the issues of our time.  

EARTH RISING TALKS – IMMA Talks programme for EARTH RISING brings together leading thinkers and makers and offers a platform for thought, provocation and exchange, on how to rebuild systems of regeneration, sustainability and care, in a climate changed world. From Land Rights, Health, and Food to Migration, and restoring ancient relationships with forests and woodlands, this gathering brings together a diverse set of practices working nationally and globally, to foster solidarity and shared responsibility in protecting and repairing a climate-changed world.  

Speakers include Roland Verquez (Professor of Post/Decolonial Theories and Literatures, the University of Amsterdam); Françoise Vergès (Antiracist Feminist Activist, Co-founder of the Collective Decolonize the Arts); Sharae Deckard (Associate Professor, World Literature, UCD); Nadine El-Enany (Writer, Teacher, Poet, Professor of Law, University of Kent, UK); Ursula Biemann (Swiss Artist, Theorist, Forest Mind); Pippa Marland (author of Ecocriticism and the Island: Readings from the British-Irish Archipelago, UK); Sahar Qawasmi (Sakiya Residency – Palestine); Evie Kenny (host of RTE’s Ecolution podcast); Islander architects (Laura Carroll & Ciarán Molumby); Susannah Hagan (Author of Revolution? Architecture and the Anthropocene, 2022, and Professor University of Westminster, London) and many others. 

EARTH RISING FOOD PROGRAMME – Jennie Moran will host a convivial exchange of ideas, skills and knowledge around food where we will rethink our food practices over food demonstrations, talks and presentations. The weekend kicks off with a Taste of the African Diaspora, an evening of conversation and culinary delights to celebrate Culture Night. Weekend highlights include keynote speaker Colin Sage on Food citizenship; a soil workshop for families with Dr Aga Soil Scientist; a talk by artist and bee-keeper Anthony Freeman O’Brien; a panel discussion on Food and Empathy; Food and Storytelling with Ahmad Salah from Bethlehem Palestinian Restaurant; a discussion with Farming for Nature; and an event and workshops by the Louth Urban Food Sanctuary.

EARTH RISING ECO FAIR – Explore the Eco Fair where sustainability meets creativity! The Eco Fair showcases a diverse array of eco-conscious vendors committed to a greener future. Discover unique, sustainable products – from organic skincare and ethical fashion to upcycled home goods – that prioritise circularity and regeneration, all while connecting with like-minded individuals passionate about protecting our planet. The Eco Fair is more than just a marketplace; it’s a celebration of innovation and a call to action for a better tomorrow.  

All events and experiences at EARTH RISING are free of charge, ensuring the festival is accessible to all. However, booking in advance may be required for specific workshops and events. For updates and further details, visit www.imma.ie.  

ENDS  

For media inquiries, interviews, or additional information, please contact:
Patrice Molloy E: [email protected] T: 086 2009957
Monica Cullinane E: [email protected] T: 086 2010023 

Additional Notes for Editors  

EARTH RISING Festival Details

Admission: Free     

Dates: Friday 20 – Sunday 22 September 2024    

Festival Times:
Friday 20 September: 5pm – 9pm
Saturday 21 September: 10am – 7pm
Sunday 22 September: 10am – 7pm

Festival App: The festival programme is available on the EARTH RISING FESTIVAL APP  

Download from App Store (Apple iOS): Earth Rising on the App Store (apple.com) 

Goggle Play (Android): Earth Rising – Apps on Google Play

Webpage: EARTH RISING IMMA webpage 

Festival Partners: Collaborations and partnerships remain at the heart of Earth Rising 2024. IMMA is proud to work with partners including Creative Ireland, The Mary Robinson Centre, Taighde Éireann | Research Ireland, Dublin Volunteer Centre, Scouting Ireland, EcoUNESCO, Spunout.ie, IPUT Real Estate Dublin, Native Events, DCU Centre for Climate, Goethe Institute, and Technical University Dublin.