Date: 16 May 2022 Tramore Valley Park In honour of World Biodiversity Day on 22nd May 2022, artists Marilyn Lennon and Sean Taylor, today (May 11th) announced The Becoming Kin Big Weekend at Tramore Valley Park supported by Cork City Council. Taking place over two days, it offers a range of exciting free events including walks, talks and workshops on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd May. All events are ‘citizen- led’ and promote this year’s theme ‘Building a Shared Future for All Life’. Creative Ireland Coordinator and Arts Officer for Cork City Michelle Carew said “The KinShip Project offers communities in Cork city an opportunity to respond creatively and critically to the ecological and climate challenges we face today through skill shares and creative action.” From history and nature walks to botanical art and poetry workshops and a reading group, the programme is packed with something for everyone. On both days, there will be a live sound performance by artist Jesse Hallaway who is currently participating in a KinShip placement at the park. Practicing biodiversity is a key objective of ‘KinShip’, a long term public art initiative supported by Cork City Council and local partners with Creative Climate Action funding from Creative Ireland. According to the UN, biodiversity remains the answer to several sustainable development challenges stating “From nature-based solutions to climate, health issues, food and water security, and sustainable livelihoods, biodiversity is the foundation upon which we can build back better.” Tramore Valley Park has been the site of great environmental change. From 1964 to 2009, this site was used as a landfill for Cork city. The remediated landfill site opened as a public park in 2019 and now offers a biodiverse landscape with huge potential for nurturing and appreciation. The overall aim of the KinShip art project is to develop a deeper sense of connection between the people of Cork and the ecology of the park. According to KinShip lead artists Marilyn Lennon and Sean Taylor, “This project is an opportunity to develop a new relationship, to ‘become kin’, with the park, modelling care as a civic responsibility to all its inhabitants. This is a space to alter our mindset about the relationship we have with the natural world, to address the legacy of ‘throw away’ culture and to engage with new modes of managing waste.” Book your place at these free events at: https://www.eventbrite.ie/o/kinship-project-39931083563 Find the full programme of events at: https://www.corkcity.ie/en/kinship/becoming-kin/ Download the poster of events for the weekend at: https://www.corkcity.ie/en/media-folder/arts/updatedprintposter_bewkendmay.pdf Background to The KinShip Project The KinShip Project is a durational public artwork at Tramore Valley Park led by artists Marilyn Lennon and Sean Taylor in partnership with Cork City Council, funded by Creative Ireland’s Creative Climate Action Fund. Local project partners include Cork Nature Network, Cork Healthy Cities, Cork UNESCO Learning Cities, Green Spaces for Health, Munster Technical University Clean Technology Centre and University College Cork Environmental Research Institute. The Creative Climate Action Fund supports creative projects which can meaningfully connect people with profound changes happening in our environment, society and economy arising from climate change in Ireland. Becoming Kin Big Weekend is one element of the overall KinShip Project. See https://www.corkcity.ie/en/kinship for more information about this project including KinShip Artist Placements and monthly ‘Becoming Kin’ events.