Learning and sharing by walking through Hollywood Forest brings the story of a small, slow ecological art practice and the story of alternative more ecological continuous cover forestry practices alive. It’s also a privilege and much fun to share and answer the next generation of creatives’ questions about the emergent and fantastically rewarding art and ecology field. It will be this generation, if informed with ecoliteracy and new values for personal-collective-planetary wellbeing, who will central to developing all manner of creative ways to re-enchant more respectful relations to the wider community of life.

I owe my early confidence in teaching ecoliteracy and how agency for change can arise in long term ecosocial art practices to Rosie and Frank of the Wexford Cowhouse Studios, who along with the Burren College of Art, was the first to ask me to teach. Rosie and Frank host international and national students on different programmes and residencies throughout the year, supporting and fostering young adults to mid-career creative professionals in creative practices on the other side of the Blackstairs mountains from here, in County Wexford.

Rosie’s first asked me to talk to individual doctoral students then groups not long after I finished my PhD in 2019. Rosie also attended my inaugural first Haumea Ecoliteracy one day workshop in nearby Rathanna village (our 8th online essential ecoliteracy course, with our new vision and values for a better world course with the Earth Charter, are now open for bookings for New Year 2022. My collaborator, philosopher Dr Nikos Patedakis will also be workshopping his new book on ecopedagogy soon too, details tbc).

Cow House Studios is a progressive artist-run school and residency set in the farmland of County Wexford, Ireland. A productive farm to this day, the 180 acres of land provide an authentic and inspirational backdrop while facilitating multidisciplinary practices for artists in residence and students, focusing on cross-cultural learning and creative exchange. Current 2021 deadlines for Cow House Studios Open Professional Practice: Artist Residencies in Ireland are approaching Read more here https://Cowhouse studios.com/artist-residencies/ (thank you, Frank &Rosie, for the photos)

Thank you, Rosie, Frank and the young international creatives for such an enjoyable visit… I can’t think of anything else that gives me more hope for these challenging times.

All photos except the one below by Frank Abruzzese – thank you, Frank!