SDSN Arts & Sustainability Group Get Together 2026
Friday, 23 January 2026 | UCD Parity Studios, Richview School of Architecture
SDSN Ireland hosted the inaugural in-person Arts & Sustainability Group Get Together on Friday, 23 January 2026 at UCD Parity Studios. The event brought together artists, educators and researchers from across Ireland to explore how climate, environment and sustainability are addressed through artistic, research and pedagogical practices.
The day opened with a welcome by Emer O’Boyle, Artist and Co-Founder of UCD Parity Studios, followed by three thematic panels and a concluding workshop. Discussions focused on strengthening interdisciplinary connections, sharing methodologies, and identifying opportunities for collaboration within the SDSN Ireland network.
Panel 1: Survival Strategies and Methodologies of Care, moderated by John Barimo, examined feminist political ecology, care, and transdisciplinary research. Asma Yaqoob (DCU) presented research on gendered survival practices during the 2022 Karachi floods, while Rosie O’Reilly (UCD) explored hydro-methods and oceanic perspectives in artistic research. John also presented on ecologies of relational care and living knowledge.
Panel 2: New Models of Pedagogies for a Sustainable World, moderated by Alistair Payne (MTU), focused on educational innovation. Glenn Loughran (TU Dublin) reflected on island-based pedagogies, Sarah O’Dwyer outlined the national Building Change initiative in architectural education, and Gwen Lettis (MTU) introduced Croí, a values-led educational framework for sustainable design.
Panel 3: Building Connections through Embodied Research, moderated by Emer O’Boyle, highlighted embodied and creative research practices, such as within weaving, music production and dance, with contributions from Aileen Dillane (UL), Lorna Donlon (UCD Conway Institute), and Gabriela Mayer (MTU Cork School of Music).
The day concluded with a generative group discussion, facilitated by Alistair Payne. The participants, who came from nine different institutions across Ireland (UCD, UCC, UG, MTU, SETU, IADT, TUD, UL & DCU) and multiple disciplines, considered approaches artists can take for SDG development and the future of the network. Reflecting on the day's presentations, many considered the de-siloing strength of the arts, their ability to capture the interconnection of environmental and social issues within the SDGs, and capacity to ground subject matter in order to make targets feel relevant and accessible for broad and diverse communities. Participants shared the work their current institutions are leading, spanning student-centred learning, cross-university sustainable practices, meaningfully socially engaged curriculum and new programme design. Finally, participants explored avenues for funding, collaborative projects and upcoming sustainability and arts event across Ireland.
This Arts and Sustainability Get Together demonstrated the richness and diversity of arts-based approaches to sustainability across the SDSN Ireland network and laid important foundations for continued dialogue, collaboration and collective action within this SDSN Ireland thematic working group.
