Check where your food comes from!

Most of us are not lucky enough to be self-sufficient in the food we eat. Some of us may even try to buy local produce only which can be difficult.

However globalization has affected us all and the foods we eat. We no longer only eat food that can be grown in our climate or foods that are in season.

For example bananas are seen as healthy foodstuff that children willing eat. This is great except that they have been flown 1000s of miles to get here. We could eat apples instead. Please do not mention strawberries in winter or sprouts in the summer!

(Ireland is well suited to the growing of carrots)

Putting a positive slant on a resolution can have a much more powerful effect, as can getting other involved. Breaking a habit takes 21 days so say the experts. To start a good habit also takes 21 days. As the longs months are 31 days this would give us a real chance a creating good new habits that would last a life time.

The idea here is to suggest one green tip a month and see how we all get on. Feedback on your results, suggestions that might make the task easier and suggestions of other tips can be emailed to info@fada.ie

Each month we will review the previous and suggest a new task of the following month.

February:

If there is one thing we are all guilty of - it is driving too fast.

Slow down!

The most economic speed is approximately 80km per hour. This does not mean you have to drive at that speed! Always stay within the speed limits. On open motorways and in good driving conditions the speed limit is 120km per hour in Ireland. At 110km per hour the engine requires approximately 30% more fuel. Slowing down has a number of positive effects: -

Saving in fuel consumption - Reduced running costs - Reduced CO2 emissions - Saves lives

As most resolutions involve negative language (give up) and most of us find it difficult to give up something we enjoy resolutions do not last too long; a couple of days or at most a couple of weeks. Putting a positive slant on a resolution can have a much more powerful effect, as can getting other involved.

Breaking a habit takes 21 days so say the experts. To start a good habit also takes 21 days. As the longs months are 31 days this would give us a real chance a creating good new habits that would last a life time.

The idea here is to suggest one green tip a month and see how we all get on. Feedback on your results, suggestions that might make the task easier and suggestions of other tips can be emailed to info@fada.ie

Each month we will review the previous and suggest a new task of the following month

February:

If there is one thing we are all guilty of - it is driving too fast.

Slow down!

The most economic speed is approximately 80km per hour. This does not mean you have to drive at that speed! Always stay within the speed limits.

On open motorways and in good driving conditions the speed limit is 120km per hour in Ireland. At 110km per hour the engine requires approximately 30% more fuel.

Slowing down has a number of positive effects:

- Saving in fuel consumption

- Reduced running costs

- Reduced CO2 emissions

- Saves lives

It is the New Year and a time when people make resolutions such as:

I will stop smoking

I will exercise more

I will eat less meat

I will drive less

As most new Year resolutions involve negative language (give up) and most of us find it difficult to give up something we enjoy resolutions do not last too long; a couple of days or at most a couple of weeks. Putting a positive slant on a resolution can have a much more powerful effect, as can getting other involved.

Breaking a habit takes 21 days so say the experts. To start a good habit also takes 21 days. As the longs months are 31 days this would give us a real chance a creating good new habits that would last a life time.

The idea here is to suggest one green tip a month and see how we all get on. Feedback on your results, suggestions that might make the task easier and suggestions of other tips can be emailed to info@fada.ie

Each month we will review the previous and suggest a new task of the following month.

 January:

After the extravagance of the holidays there is a lot of waste so the task this month is:

Get recycling 

We all know that newspapers, cardboard and glass can be recycled, but is so much more. Check out Kildare’s local recycling plant at Silliot Hill just out side Kilcullen.

http://kildare.ie/CountyCouncil/Environment/SilliotHill/

Most Supermarket car parks and some other community parking areas have bottle and clothes banks some even have areas for drinks cans and plastic bottles.

Remember

• Waste materials before recycling!
• Non cooked food excluding meats can be composted
• Cooked food and meats can be placed in wormiers

http://www.wormery.ie/

Bartering is a medium in which goods or services are directly exchanged for other goods and/or services without a common unit of  exchange (without the use of money) See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barter

Bring clothes, toys, books, home baking, excess garden produce, skills anything you might be able to barter along to the Barter Tent at Féile na Samhna. The Barter Tent will be located at the end of Georges Street.

If you would like to consider different ways to exchange goods and services; Here is a list of Websites for various forms of community currencies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvtGyFcRpUs
Short video clip from TimeBank UK explaining how it works

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time-based_currency

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiemgauer
Chiemgauer is the name of a REGIO community currency started in 2003 in Prien am Chiemsee, Bavaria, Germany. It is named after the Chiemgau, a famous region around the Chiemsee. Christian Gelleri, a high school teacher, started this project with his students who are in charge of designing and printing vouchers, administration, accounting, advertising and other services.

http://www.youngwales.com/wicc_eng_ENTRANCE.htm
Wales Institute for community currencies

http://www.feasta.org/documents/shortcircuit/index.html?sc3/c3.html
An excerpt ” Chapter 3 Cutting the Monetary Tie” from Richard Dowthwaites book “Strengthening local Economies for Security in an Unstable World

http://transitiontownkenmare.wordpress.com/
The Kenmare YOURO Irelands first pilot complimentary currency

How money works

http://www.chrismartenson.com/crashcourse
The Crash Course seeks to provide you with a baseline understanding of the economy so that you can better appreciate the risks that we all face. This series of videos is, the clearest and most straightforward explanation of how our economy, energy systems and environment interact — how we got to where we are today, and some reasonable expectations for the future.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Lietaer

Bernard Lietaer (born in 1942 in Lauwe, Belgium) is an economist and author. He studies monetary systems and promotes the idea that communities can benefit from creating their own local or Complementary currency, which circulate parallel with national currencies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjYDhuLWUnE
Bernard Lietaer short interview

Alternative finance structures

http://www.smallisbeautiful.org/share_microcredit.html

SHARE makes micro-credit loans available at manageable interest rates to businesses that are often considered “high risk” by  traditional lenders-usually because of their credit ratings or the unique nature of their business ideas. Local SHARE members make interest-earning deposits in a local bank, which are used to collateralize loans for local businesses with a positive community impact

http://small-mart.org/action-lists
Small-Mart.org is a web resource for people interested in news, stories, people, innovations, and analysis concerning local business, social enterprise, self-reliant communities, and related policies. It grows out of the writings of Michael Shuman–The Small-Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses Are Beating the Global Competition and Going Local: Creating Self-Reliant Communities in a Global Age.

Venue VTOS @ 3PM
Capacity 50 -book at festival desk before 2.45pm to avoid disappointment

In this fun hour we spend a little time mastering the angklung, a tuned bamboo rattle from Indonesia and then invent our own original compositions. No musical experience required

For families with children aged from 3 yrs -
Instant Orchestras have been formed and acclaimed by people of all ages nation wide and abroad. Previous participants entire include schools, Actors at the Abbey Theatre, Morbegs, theatre festival audiences, culture night visitors to the national concert hall and Mrs, Mary Robinson

http://www.nicoandmartin.com/shows.html

Story Time with Wanda the Witch

Venue VTOS @ 11.00am - 12pm

Story telling for children 5-9 on spooky themes with poetry,
drama and songs

The Pucanousity Tent

Venue Marquee on Georges
St. @ 11.30am - 4.30pm

Fun games with a twist for
children 3 upwards, including
“Bubble Magic”
making the biggest and weirdest bubbles you have ever seen
and

Newbridge’s Premiere Conker Championships

Facilitator - Sharon O’Neill is a freelance facilitator and artist.
Sharon has over ten years of experience in the Arts industry, notably in street theatre and community arts; both on commercial & large scale projects and on community based projects. She has worked with such high profile companies such as “Els Comediants” the world renowned Spanish company and in Ireland with Arcana, Macnas, St. Patrick’s Festival, Artastic, the Rose of Tralee Festival
and Cois Céim Dance Theatre.

Build a city Workshop
Local artist Lorraine Walsh will work collaboratively with participants to create a model city using all recycled materials and some dry art materials, during the day ofthe festival. This workshop will run for the duration of the day please register at festival desk

With experienced local craft practitioners

Charge of €2 applies

Register at festival desk 10.30am  - 3.00pm

Felting

Beginner’s workshop, a basic introduction to felt making, using natural Irish and Australian wool. Its simply magic.

Joanie Murphy

is a well-established local craft artist with many years facilitation experience and working with natural materials.

Willow Weaving

Make individual Art pieces using locally grown organic willow

Paul Finch:

Local Environmental Artist, Works with natural and recycled materials, inspired by nature, myth and folklore

Build a City Venue - The Pucanousity Tent

Local artist Lorraine Walsh will work collaboratively with participants to create a

model city using all recycled materials and some dry art materials, during the day of the festival

 

Venue VTOS @ 1pm

Capacity 50 -book at festival desk before 12.45am to avoid disappointment

An hour of ancient stories brought to life by the artful narration of Nuala Hayes and music of

Anne Marie O’ Farrell

For ages 12 and over

The stories of the Cailleach, the wise woman or hag of Irish mythology, are full of mystery and the power, wisdom and imagination of older people. Often this power is a threat, sometimes it’s a challenge, but always, like the rocks and the stones of the earth, it’s a force of nature. Many of these stories come from the oral tradition, and although considerable scholarly work has been done by eminent folklorists such as.   They tap into old pre-Celtic and pre-Christian beliefs. They challenge, entertain and divert and are important in a world that is in flux.

NUALA HAYES Well known actor and storyteller. Member of Abbey Theatre for five years. Founded Two Chairs Company, with musician Ellen Cranitch 18 years ago. Has performed at all the major Storytelling Festivals in Ireland was Director of the Dublin Festival, Scéalta Shamhna, for 10 years. Recently played leading roles in the New Theatre’s adaptation of The Tailor and Ansty by Eric Cross (2005); The Well of the Saints by J.M. Synge (2008) and in The End of the Beginning, by Seán O’Casey, with Big Telly Theatre Company.

http://www.storytellersofireland.org/index.php/863 

ANNE-MARIE O’FARRELL Well respected harpist, composer and teacher who graduatedfrom UCD and was awarded an M.A. in compostion from NUI Maynooth. Plays a pivotalrole in the development of the Irish Harp and is consultant to Salvi harpmakers. Performs withboth classical and traditional musicians. Recordings include her solo albums, Heads and Harps, Harping Bach to Carolan, The Jig’s Up, and Double String with Cormac de Barra

Teens Drumming
Venue The Yellow Corner Shop @ 2pm - 4pm
Capacity 25 -book at festival desk before 1.45 to avoid disappointment
Facilitator Eddie O’Neill

Introduction to Organic Gardening
Venue Bia Lin Community Garden@ 12.30pm - 1.00pm
Capacity 25 -book at festival desk before 1.45 to avoid disappointment
Facilitator Angela Nolan

Drama

Workshops in expressing yourself
Venue -The Yellow Corner Shop@ 11.00am - 12pm and 1.00pm - 2.00pm
Capacity 30 -book at festival desk before to avoid disappointment.

The main goals of these drama workshop is to gain an understanding of ourselves - freeing ourselves of preconceived estimations through working within a safe and respectful atmosphere gaining confidence
Bonnie Mc Cormick is a professional actor for the last ten years.Her style of theatre is mainly influenced by Jerzy Grotowski which started her training with Loose Canon Theatre Company. Her deep search into unblocking the body and voice of negative stresses brought her training to India twice, Italy and Denmark. She has work with groups of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

Fluxus Dance- Transformative Creative Dance Project
Venue VTOS @ 2pm - 3pm
Capacity 25 -book at festival desk before 1.45 to avoid disappointment

MOVEMENT FOR LIFE
Movement for Life is a Transformative Movement approach to dance designed to affect CHANGE -in the BODY - the DANCER and the ENVIORMMENT. This is a movement based dance workshop which gives time for a body based exploration of issues which concern you.
Directed by Cathy O’ Kennedy of Fluxusdance, Kildare’s own Award Winning Contemporary Dance Company. With Counterbalance Integrated Dance Ensemble.

Grant Aided by The Arts Council.

Facilitator Cathy Kennedy
Wexford born choreographer, Cathy Kennedy has developed a distinctive dance language and discourse around her passion for, and commitment to bringing the art of dance and the “normal” into close association with one another. Cathy has served as director of the Dance Council of Ireland where she established the counterbalance project to provide a space for people of all levels of ability to dance. Internationally her choreography and co-productions include over thirty works with dancers from the USA, Canada, Denmark, France and England, Scotland and Wales.
She is a recipient of the Sunday Tribune Arts Award for her pioneering work in Wexford

Making Paper Flowers.
Venue VTOS @ 11.00am - 2.00pm
Registration at festival desk 10.00 - 3.00

Content more to follow
Facilitator Rose Anne McInerney

Thanks to the support of Kildare Ar Aghaidh visitors to this years Feile na Samhna can observe traditional craft artisans at Work. The artists will have work for sale for original and lifelong gifts

Beth Murphy - Willow Basketry

Working with the seasons in direct contact with the land,
surrounded by natures creativity creates in me an awareness
of sustainability. I personally would not be happy in any other
world, let’s keep it alive and bring it into the future, choose
sustainability, choose Willow
….Beth Murphy Willow Wonder

Francis Presley - Green Furniture Making

I work with all hedge wood and combine willow
rods as part of the structure. I also make replica
sligo chairs out of elm ash and oak. What I hope to
include this year is my fire making drill, based on
a primitive design, I just have to perfect it for ease of use.

http://www.francispresley.com/

Felt Making

Joanie Murphy - Details to follow