Another really busy month for the Artitude project.

The Faughan group celebrated the connections they had made, the creativity they had embraced, and the environmental awareness they had developed throughout their journey alongside the River Faughan with a special biochar-making event, led by seed expert and local activist Conor O’Kane.

Taking place at Oak Gardens on 2 September, Conor demonstrated how to make biochar from willow. The process involves burning the willow at a high temperature inside a specially designed metal drum for several hours. Biochar is an active form of carbon that can be added to soil to help remineralise it and, importantly, capture carbon and keep it out of the atmosphere.

The group also had the opportunity to fire the silver clay pendants they had created during the River Embrace event. Each participant was given a small piece of the special clay and invited to shape it into a pendant before choosing an object to press into the surface and create a unique imprint. Some chose leaves, others flowers or stones, with each pendant becoming a personal and treasured memento of their time with the project. Once fired in the biochar fire, the clay was transformed into silver.

This was also the group’s final gathering, providing an opportunity to share stories, memories and reflections from their time together. Sadly, the group also took a moment to remember a much-loved member who had passed away. The biochar event offered a fitting way to celebrate their life, their dedication to the local community and their contribution to the Artitude project.

Meanwhile, Project Officer Julie has been busy working with producer Colin to record a number of new podcasts for the second series of Artitude: Climate, Culture, Circular Stories. We’ve been chatting with project participants, facilitators and a range of fascinating people working in the climate action space. There are some great conversations to come, so keep an eye out for the new series.

The project team also met with participants from the Triax group to gather feedback on their experiences of taking part in the project.  Everyone spoke positively about their experience of working with embedded artist Gemma Walker-Farren to create Awake for Change, a performance featuring original music written and performed by the group themselves.Participants shared a variety of reasons for joining the project. Some were newcomers to the area and were keen to make new connections, while others were drawn to the project's focus on climate action. For some, curiosity was simply the motivation to get involved. Despite their different reasons for joining, everyone agreed that the project had been both enjoyable and worthwhile. Some participants have developed a greater appreciation for the environment, while others have become even more committed to climate action, going on to join and support other environmental groups such as Save Our Sperrins.

Perhaps most importantly, the project has helped participants to form new friendships and build a strong sense of community.