Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting The Elders and eco-theatre director Andrea Scott from Floating World Productions here at Ireland’s smallest continuous cover forest, Hollywood. Andrea, who has collaborated extensively with The Elders in exploring the significance of Irish forests, brought a wealth of creative insight to our discussions.

The Elders are a dynamic group of individuals over the age of 65, originally brought together for the Dublin, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCOCO) commissioned project Life Memos in 2018. Comprising individuals with diverse professional backgrounds, they are now united in their dedication to producing original and innovative theatre.

Andrea, having participated in my Haumea Ecoliteracy course last year, showcases her remarkable work with The Elders through their captivating short films (linked below). Through her guidance, The Elders have delved into movement improvisation, creative composition, and engagement with contemporary drama and performance, often collaborating with Irish playwrights.

Witnessing their collective endeavours has been truly inspiring, as they tackle the sense of alienation from the living world so pervasive in our mainstream culture. Their approach, grounded in deep listening and forest observation, coupled with creative expression, offers a beacon of hope. It reminds us all of the potential to cultivate awareness of the interconnected ecologies that sustain life in its myriad forms.

Below is their first forest development work from 2021:

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The Elders Visit to Hollywood Forest

For The Elders, I shared an ecoliteracy talk and how we have slowly, since 2008, been transforming Hollywood Forest with new-to-Ireland Close-to-Nature forestry practices and how it has become ‘the little wood that could’. I also discussed the evolution of the peoples’ Earth Charter as a means to simply communicate ecological thinking and why I now help creatives develop ecological thinking for the urgent challenges we now face.

Martin and I shared stories from Hollywood, on the sadness of ash dieback among many of our Ash trees, to the tree-boring antics of our new-to-Hollywood Great Spotted Woodpeckers, and how birds are now the most active tree planters in this vibrant, regenerating woodland habitat. Martin was also completing a giant stone ‘pear’ sculpture in local Kilkenny limestone, so it was great to show how we work in different ways at Hollywood.

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Thank you Andrea for organising this special visit. And thank you, Eithne for reading Derek Mahon’s poem ‘Everything is Going to be Alright’ (2021), and to Irene for sharing her knowledge of how Indigenous Māori childhood learning brings wellbeing and belonging to early childhood education policy, inspiring the same in Ireland.

We wish Andrea & The Elders well in their new work on bird species extinction & why caring about ecological integrity is so important for us all.

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PS We were delighted to receive this wonderful poem from Eithne after the Elders’ visit – one we will treasure.

THE HOLLYWOOD FOREST  

I listened to the story of The Hollywood Forest

Mesmerised and thrilled at its

transformation by Cathy

Into an ecological forest.

Slowly naturally every three years.

But the ash tree does not grow

disease has taken over.

What more vital trees

will be dead before we realise

we must change

to preserve life on earth

In all its forms?

Then the joy of observing human creation

at its best

of the transformation by Martin

of stone into shapes and forms

of such beauty and perfection

smooth and perfect

created with love and skill and perseverance.

A wonderful visit to a transformational place.                 

 Eithne Casey