Creative Places West Cork Islands, Ocean and Environment Commission

Cork County Council has announced Eóin Heaney as the winner of its Ocean and Environment Commission. Supported by Creative Places West Cork Islands, the commission will see the acclaimed filmmaker undertake an 18-month residency across the seven inhabited West Cork islands.

Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Joe Carroll welcomed the residency, saying 

‘FATHOMS TO FEET’ will be a socially engaged documentary project exploring the resilience and innovation of the West Cork Islands’ communities as they respond to pressing environmental challenges. The project will unfold as a series of island-specific vignettes, with each island exploring its unique environmental relationship and cultural traditions.

Through a process of community collaboration and creative co-design, the film will document how residents across the seven islands; Dursey, Bere, Whiddy, Long, Heir, Sherkin and Oileán Chléire, confront oceanic and environmental issues. By weaving local knowledge with open-source ecological methods, the project will highlight sustainable solutions for renewable energy, waste reduction, and the impacts of climate change on island life.

Cape Clear Island resident Judith Gilbert from the Comharchumann Chléire added, “We are looking forward to working with Eóin and his team, this project will give islanders an opportunity to showcase our beautiful West Cork Islands and our unique life.”

To keep up to date with the residency, visit the Creative Places West Cork Islands website at www.creativeplaceswci.ie  

The Ocean and Environment Commission is supported by Cork County Council and Creative Places: West Cork Islands, an Arts Council-funded initiative that aims to build sustained arts investment and create opportunities for local arts programmes.