Focused on the River Nore, InFlow was a hands-on project which explored the intersection of environmental awareness, textile waste, and the circular economy. Led by three experienced artists and makers, InFlow invited participants to reconnect with the river as a living system and a source of inspiration. Through engagement with the river and creative workshops, the project highlighted the environmental impact of the textile industry on waterways, while offering practical, artistic ways to respond rooted in sustainability. Over the course of the project, participants were introduced to a wide range of sustainable textile practices, textile printing, sashiko, natural dyeing, embroidery, textile manipulation, t-shirt yarn making, appliqué, patchwork, needle felting & weaving. They also completed an upcycled picnic blanket from larger upholstery samples, backed with unwanted pull up banners. These sessions were designed not only to teach technical skills but to embed the principles of the circular economy in a tangible, community-based way. Using a textile waste stream of upholstery fabric provided by Kilkenny County Council Arts Office, participants learned to repurpose textile waste, transforming it into meaningful artistic outputs such as personal textile journals and picnic blankets. These creations served as both personal reflections and collective expressions of environmental consciousness.
The project culminated in a community picnic and a ritualistic return of water to the River Nore symbolically completing the cycle that began with the project’s launch event, a showing of the documentary The River is Me. This final gathering provided a space for participants to share their stories, showcase their work, and celebrate their journey together. The act of returning the water collected at the beginning of the project to the river underscored the themes of renewal and interconnectedness that ran throughout the programme.
InFlow successfully met its objectives by fostering environmental awareness through creative engagement, equipping participants with sustainable textile skills, and strengthening community bonds through shared artistic experiences. It inspired behavioural change by making the abstract principles of the circular economy tangible and emotionally resonant. Participants left the project not only with new skills and knowledge but with a renewed sense of place, purpose, and potential to contribute to a more sustainable future. The project’s legacy lives on in the artworks created, the stories shared, and the ripples of awareness it continues to generate within the Kilkenny community.
