The Air We Share
Project Name:
The Air We Share
Project Partners:
Galway City Council in partnership with Galway Arts Centre, University of Galway, Westside Resource Centre, and Galway Culture Company
Role of Galway Culture Company:
Advisor
Strategic Aim:
This project falls under our second strategic aim;
Support and develop place-based cultural programming
Project Description:
Solutions to air pollution in Galway City are being explored as part of an innovative project combining art, community education and citizen action.
As part of ‘The Air We Share’ project, seven monitors will record air pollution in Westside with the data made available to the local community to ‘make the invisible visible’.
Three artists in residence will produce ambitious, sensory visual representations of the data, in collaboration with the local community, over the next 12 months.
The project was launched at Westside Arts Festival on Saturday, July 13, 2024.
The Air We Share will explore sources of air pollution in Westside, as well as proposing creative solutions to address them.
The project is a measure of the Galway City Council Climate Action Plan, adopted last February.
Particle pollution caused by burning fossil and solid fuels has been shown to cause problems in the lungs and heart and can lead to increased risk of stroke and dementia, as well as affecting climate change.
The Air We Share project complements Galway City’s EU Net Zero Cities Project, which supports cities to identify and overcome root causes which hinder climate action.
In Galway City, the EU NetZeroCities project focuses on overcoming barriers to energy efficiency in buildings, with a Warm Home Hub located at Westside Resource Centre.
Read more about the project here.
The Air We Share A.I.R. Residency Programme
At the core of The Air We Share is the development of an open call for three significant artist in residence opportunities valued at €38,000 each. These are 9 month residencies (Oct 2024- July 2025) managed by the creative lead partner Galway Arts Centre and open to artists/collectives of all disciplines – including but not limited to; visual arts, socially-engaged practices, immersive technologies, including augmented reality + virtual reality and film, dance, theatre, music, spoken word, and digital arts. The Air We Share invites artists to propose ambitious, innovative and collaborative projects that will engage with the community of Westside and respond to the scientific research related to the atmosphere, air quality, and climate conducted by citizen scientists and climate scientists in the University of Galway.
Projects outcomes – what we expect from this project:
Seven monitors will record air pollution in Westside with the data made available to the local community. Three artists in residence will produce ambitious, sensory visual representations of the data, in collaboration with the local community, over a 12 month period. The data will be used to explore sources of air pollution in Westside, as well as to find creative solutions to address them.
How this project is funded:
The project’s €250,000 budget is funded by Creative Ireland’s Climate Action Fund, ‘Agents of Change’. It is funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in collaboration with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The fund supports creative, cultural and artistic projects that build awareness around climate change and empower citizens to make meaningful behavioural transformations.
Duration:
July 2024 to July 2025
