A project based in Co. Kerry is aiming to raise awareness with the public about the issue of wool waste in Ireland.
The Wise Wool Project is a Creative Communities initiative funded by Creative Ireland, with support from the Kerry County Arts office.
Through the year, the project has delivered wool felting workshops countywide, educating people on wool being a valuable waste product, in partnership with Curraghmore Farms.
Wool waste
The Wise Wool project has offered workshops in schools, community centres as well as at The Festival of Wool and Cloth, Wild Mind at Fenit, the ANAM Summer programme in Killarney and at K-Fest and Féile Eile in Killorglin.
The project, spearheaded by Kerry Walker and Lisa Sandow, hopes to reimagine Ireland’s wool waste and to engage with the community in sustainable practices and solutions by reducing waste and promoting eco-friendly and circular economy practices.
“Of the 7,000 tonnes of wool clipped in the Republic of Ireland most of this wool went unused. Wool is considered a category 3 ‘waste product’ in Ireland,” Lisa said.
Following on from the events held to date, the project will hold a ‘Woolly Celebration Day’ at Kate Kearney’s Cottage in the Gap of Dunloe on Saturday, November 9 from 11:00a.m.
The free family event, marking the culmination for the Wise Wool Project, will include felting workshops for all ages, demonstrations, storytelling, a film screening, panel discussions and music.
Local fiber artists, sheep farmers and the wider community will be in attendance to help the public better understand how to create something from wool.
The project team said “this is a unique event for those that are interested in creating a solution to the current wool waste dilemma”.
Anyone interested in attending the upcoming event is asked to register in advance for the workshops.