CATCHMENTS is an innovative new type of creative community project that aims to mobilise “Citizen Art” as a complement to "Citizen Science", the two contributing to society’s growing concern for the environment and reflecting the need for an understanding of the world that is both driven by data and by empathy, nurturing both artistic creativity and scientific curiosity.

In Cork City, the chosen location includes the Lee fields, River Split weir and the old Cork Waterworks, a place where nature, culture, and history collide and where locals say that fresh water and saltwater meet. 

The project includes the following elements:

The Walk: The artists will define a set walk along this itinerary, then film and record this walk with a local environmental expert. This is a knowledge transfer process along which they absorb as much information as possible about the environmental conditions of the place, including flora, fauna and water quality.

The Workshops: Two days of creative and scientific workshops using the quadrat-sampling technique to study biodiversity.  As an artistic device, the quadrat offers a multitude of possibilities.

Creative Activities: On-site photography, video, and drawing; off-site studies of colour, shape, and luminosity, all using the quadrat as a focus.

STEM Activities: Data survey supported by Research Ireland, contributing to the National Biodiversity Data Centre.

Showcase: Presentations of co-created work, talks, readings, music, and refreshments.

Please note that the details of events listed above are provided by the relevant Local Authorities.