The second Sustainability in the Arts Festival took place last week across the Waterford, Carlow, and Wexford campuses following the launch by President of SETU, Professor Veronica Campbell.
The festival involved multidisciplinary collaborations with undergraduate and postgraduate students from the areas of music, visual art, graphic design, culinary arts, languages, and internationalisation, coming together to showcase their unique perspectives on how the Sustainable Development Goals apply to them.
Launching the event, Prof Veronica Campbell said, “The goal of our ‘Sustainability in the Arts Festival’ is to grow the culture of sustainability at our University and shine a light on the ‘sustainability movement’ at the University and the region in a way that we have not done previously.”
Cooking demos & walking trails
An extensive programme of events featured live music performances, cooking demonstrations, visual art, print, and sculpture exhibitions, a walking trail, a giant sunflower collaborative collage, guest speakers and artists, research posters and presentations, and an immersive experience. The university became a hive of creative activity as the festival stimulated conversations on sustainability and how we can make a difference.
Reflecting on the success of this year’s festival, Sustainability in the Arts Festival Lead, Dr Hazel Farrell said, “Collaboration was at the core of the festival, inspiring innovative partnerships and stimulating meaningful learning experiences. The multi-disciplinary approach encompassing music, visual arts, graphic design, culinary arts, languages, and internationalisation attracted a broad and diverse audience.
“Partners from Georgia Southern University and schools from the local community joined together with SETU students to create an impactful and enjoyable festival focusing on a theme that expands far beyond the university and region.”
The inclusion of international partners and local schools enhanced the experience. “We were delighted to have Ambassador David Donoghue with us as one of the main drivers behind the development of the United Nations Global Sustainable Development Goals. Dr John Barimo of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network also contributed valuable insight on applying sustainability to higher education. The festival was funded by SATLE and N-TUTORR,” said Dr Farrell.