Shifting Tides on Tour: Sharing Stories from Carlingford to Cork and Kerry

This summer, Shifting Tides took to the road — and the sea — to bring the stories, films and learnings from Carlingford Lough to new coastal communities across Cork and Kerry. Supported by volunteers from Zero Waste North West in Derry and community organisers from Kerry’s arts community and support from the all-island Active Hope network, we embarked on a two-week journey of screenings, workshops and creative exchanges. 

Together, we shared films and practices, learned about local campaigns and connected with other Creative Ireland–funded projects to explore how communities are weaving culture, ecology and resilience along the Irish coast. 

“Borders between issues dissolve when we listen to each other’s stories. That’s where new solutions begin.”  

Beginnings by Sea and Storytelling in Kinsale 

We began near Kinsale, setting out by sea aboard a small yacht in the company of an artist–ecologist who introduced her work-in-progress on LUCA – the Last Universal Common Ancestor. Framing life’s origins in the ocean as a story that connects us all, this opening experience set the tone for the journey ahead. 

On land, we collaborated with local arts practitioners engaged in youth arts and with a project finding and honouring the ancient wells around and in Kinsale, hosting workshops that explored how water, heritage and creativity can flow together into climate and community action. 

“Life began in the ocean — and water connects us all.” 

Films, Campaigns and Citizen Science 

Travelling by electric vehicle along the coast, we hosted film screenings and conversations in unexpected places. At Brown Envelope Seeds, we screened Body of Water and the Shifting Tides short films, while learning about local campaigns such as Save Our Kelp in Bantry and Save the Sprat. 

In attendance, from nearby Skibbereen, we met citizen scientists mapping river biodiversity and developing a community biodiversity walk — a local project that strongly echoed Shifting Tides’ focus on citizen engagement. 

“Films became conversation-starters, opening doors to campaigns, questions and connections.” 

Community Hubs and Coastal Futures 

Moving further west, we visited Goleen Harbour, a long-standing hub for sustainability and community gatherings overlooking the Fastnet Lighthouse. Here, we witnessed how such focused individuals are important catalysts for place-based resilience, creativity and collective action. 

In Waterville, the local community centre’s cinema-quality screening room provided the perfect venue for films and dialogue — a reminder that small towns can nurture big ideas when the right spaces exist. 

“Places become hubs for resilience when people gather to imagine together.” 

Ingenuity on Valentia, Sand Art in Ventry 

On Valentia Island, we visited an eco-campsite that repurposes old buses and caravans into creative shelters, alongside a community-run e-bike rental scheme. These grassroots experiments illustrated how ingenuity and sustainability often go hand in hand. 

Our final stop was Ventry, on the Dingle Peninsula, where we created collaborative sand art on the beach, hosted an Active Hope workshop for local activists, and screened Who Needs Anemones? alongside Body of Water. These films inspired lively conversations about citizen science, resilience and the future of the sea. 

Creative Crossroads 

Along the way, we connected with other Creative Ireland–funded projects in Maharees and Ballybunion. These exchanges were rich with learning, showing how communities across Ireland are blending culture, ecology and local leadership to reimagine their futures. 

“Everywhere we went, the response was the same — openness, curiosity and generosity.” 

Reflections 

The tour confirmed that the themes at the heart of Shifting Tides — ocean literacy, community resilience and creative engagement — resonate far beyond Carlingford Lough. 

As the project approaches its conclusion this autumn, it's possible to continue to share its insights, celebrate its partnerships and strengthen a growing network of coastal communities committed to cultural and ecological restoration. 

“Shifting Tides may be nearing its close, but the conversations it carries are only just beginning.”