Brink!

Critical Mass: Funk Bunk Voted for by the people of Belfast, and supported by the council's Bank of Ideas and Brink!, @bang_bike_belfast came up with the beautifully mad idea of adding a bunkbed to the @criticalmassbelfast monthly gatherings. If you haven’t been on the Critical Mass bike rides you need to join on the last Friday of every month, to cycle as a group round the streets of Belfast, to the pied piper tunes played out by the DJ of the month, on the Bang Bike. Now the ‘Funk Bunk’ has joined the monthly outing on the streets of Belfast. The very talented Paddy Bloomer worked with Kieran on the designs, and built the Funk Bunk in his workshop for it’s inaugural run out for the Critical Mass 2nd Birthday last month.

Climate Adaptation for Creatives with @blackmountainscollege & @britishcouncil Designed for professionals in the cultural and creative industries, this programme explored the role of arts in climate and environmental action. I was fortunate to be selected to take part in this competitive program selected from artists and creatives from across Europe, who are passionate about the potential of the arts to contribute to a more sustainable future. It was a privilege to share 6 months with these creative minds, exploring and researching the creative ecosystem of people across different countries, disciplines, and backgrounds. Along with Julia Shu & Ana Lazarevska, our Lifecycle ‘pod’ investigated fungi, mycelium, mosses and slime moulds. Today we received our certificates for completing the program & received the fantastic news that we have received some funding to continue our group artistic practice across Ukraine, North Macedonia & Northern Ireland. It’s been a wonderful journey of connection. #lifecycle #weareone #mycelialconnections

Imagine Festival : Precarity, Process, Place: Resilience Tools for Climate Change Drawing on our 18 months on the Belfast Stories site — a partnership with Brink!, Grow NI and quarto — this exhibition and accompanying event traced what it means to act together in a place shaped by history, uncertainty, creativity, and hope. Together, we explored how a derelict city-centre site could become a garden, a cultural venue, and a commons for dialogue, and how communities can lead shifts toward ecological and social repair. In our semi-permanent exhibition, in the derelict Bank of Ireland, that is earmarked for the Belfast Stories project, we hosted a public gathering to celebrate the communities who shaped this work, and invited the citizens of Belfast into conversation about what meaningful action looks like on the ground in the face of climate crisis and social change. A wonderful evening of serendipity and stories of people taking action as communities across the city. #playthinkbrink #heritagestories #hedgeschool #plantlab Paul Kelly Bryonie Reid Gemma Reid Craig Sands Louise Ferguson

For St Patricks events in Downpatrick, at the Down County Museum, we hosted ‘A Taste for Change’ bringing together local growers, producers, and innovators to explore how food connects health, the environment, and our economy, inspired by the Northern Ireland Food Strategy Framework. To illustrate the Framework’s principles of food as nourishment, connection, and innovation Paul Cunningham, owner of @mourne_larder and @scopersdundrum takeaway, in Dundrum, prepared 3 courses of amazing local food for us all - Paul is the perfect living example of sustainable food culture supporting world class growers and food producers. Between bites, our attendees took part in lively discussions and shared their food stories, opinions and pledges for a more sustainable food future, to feed back to @daera.ni to influence the next phase of the Northern Ireland Food Strategy Framework. We delivered this with partners Lee Robb and Beth Bell of @carrickgreengrocers , commissioned by the legend that is Michele Shirlow MBE of @food_ni . Many thanks to our facilitators Cormac Dolan Rodney McBride Sharon Campbell Lee Robb and Alison Matthews, and all those who attended the event. #playthinkbrink #atasteforchange

On the evening of Wednesday 25th March, something shifted in the Great Hall at Queen's University Belfast. One hundred and fifty people gathered under the gothic vaulted ceiling of the Lanyon Building — not for a gala dinner, not for a graduation — but to talk about food. About hunger. About what happens when the system that feeds us fails. Professor Tim Lang, one of the world's foremost food policy thinkers and author of UK’s National Preparedness Commission’s Just in Time report , had come to Belfast. And he had not come with comfortable news. @belfastfoodpartnership @foodethicscouncil @climatecocentre @qubelfast #thebelfastway #playthinkbrink

Last month our friends at NI Science Festival invited me to host a conversation with criminal psychologist @drjuliashaw as she explored the darkest corners of our planet’s most urgent crimes, from oil spills and emissions scandals to global wildlife trafficking. Drawing from her latest book Green Crime, Dr Shaw uncovered the psychology of environmental offenders and the scientists, activists, and investigators working to stop them. I had a great chat with Julia, before & during the event, and I urge you to read the book, to understand the various psychological drivers behind the people causing & assisting the ecocide happening around us, & to help us understand how we might fight back against those stealing our planet’s future.

As part of the Imagine Festival, join us for a participative event, that turns an exhibition into something much more than a showcase of work. It is an invitation to gather, reflect, and discuss how we live together in a time of overlapping crises — climate, social, political, and economic. Let’s explore, together, what is possible in this place, despite and through precarity, by trusting in process. Drawing on our 18 months on the Belfast Stories site — a partnership with Brink!, Grow NI and quarto — this exhibition and accompanying event trace what it means to act together in a place shaped by history, uncertainty, creativity, and hope. Together, we explore how a derelict city-centre site could become a garden, a cultural venue, and a commons for dialogue, and how communities can lead shifts toward ecological and social repair. Thursday 26th March, 7-9pm Belfast Stories Bank of Ireland Building Royal Avenue, Belfast ** Free admission, but please book your place - Ticket Link in Bio ** @imaginebelfast @grow.ni @belfast_stories @cqbelfast @visitbelfast

Join us in Downpatrick, Wednesday 11th March, at midday, for the third in our series of local food experiences, that invite you to taste, learn, and take part in shaping the future of Northern Ireland’s food system. ‘ ‘A Taste for Change’ brings together local growers, producers, and innovators to explore how food connects health, the environment, and our economy, inspired by the Northern Ireland Food Strategy Framework, & we want to hear your thoughts. Over three courses of conversation and discovery, you’ll hear real stories from those leading change in our food landscape — from small-scale growers to community champions to innovative producers. Together, we’ll explore how their work reflects the Framework’s missions: improving lifelong health and wellbeing, supporting sustainable supply chains, and building economic prosperity through food. Paul Cunningham, owner of @mourne_larder and @scopersdundrum takeaway, Dundrum, and previous IFEX Chef of the Year, will prepare each course to accompany the discussions. We’ll hear from Cormac Dollan (@nffnuk ), Rodney McBride (@sustainablefoodplaces , Newry, Mourne & Down Council) and @cheekileebee (@carrickgreengrocers Greengrocers). Enjoy locally sourced dishes designed to illustrate the Framework’s principles of food as nourishment, connection, and innovation. Between bites, take part in lively discussions and share your own food stories and pledges for a more sustainable food future. This is more than a meal — it’s a conversation about how we can use food to transform health, climate, and community across Northern Ireland. #playthinkbrink #atasteforchange #foodni 📍Downpatrick County Museum, English Street, The Mall, Downpatrick, GB BT30 6AH 🕛 Wednesday 11th March, Midday - 2.30pm Event link to book your place in bio. This event is proving popular so please get in quick. @downcountymuseum @visitmournegullionstrangford @visitnewryandmourne @visitnewryandmourne @food_ni @belfastfoodpartnership @visitbelfast

🌾 Happening this Saturday 7 March! 🌾 The Mini Flax Meitheal: A virtual 6-month check-in. At our flax gathering in Tyrone last August 2025, we committed to having a virtual check-in after 6 months. This is our opportunity to hold each other accountable and stay on track with the 2030 vision we set out! This will be a morning of relaxed presentations on Zoom, where some of the attendees of last year’s meitheal will update our community of practice on what has been going on since last summer and what are the plans for this starting growing season 🩵 Free to join! If you’re interested in flax, you’re very welcome to join us even if you didn’t attend the in-person Meitheal last year. You can find the l¡nk to register in our b¡o ➡️ Events.

Join us in Downpatrick, Wednesday 11th March, at midday, for the third in our series of local food experiences, that invite you to taste, learn, and take part in shaping the future of Northern Ireland’s food system. ‘ ‘A Taste for Change’ brings together local growers, producers, and innovators to explore how food connects health, the environment, and our economy, inspired by the Northern Ireland Food Strategy Framework, & we want to hear your thoughts. Over three courses of conversation and discovery, you’ll hear real stories from those leading change in our food landscape — from small-scale growers to community champions to innovative producers. Together, we’ll explore how their work reflects the Framework’s missions: improving lifelong health and wellbeing, supporting sustainable supply chains, and building economic prosperity through food. Paul Cunningham, owner of @mourne_larder and @scopersdundrum takeaway, Dundrum, and previous IFEX Chef of the Year, will prepare each course to accompany the discussions. We’ll hear from Cormac Dollan (@nffnuk ), Rodney McBride (@sustainablefoodplaces , Newry, Mourne & Down Council) and @cheekileebee (@carrickgreengrocers Greengrocers). Enjoy locally sourced dishes designed to illustrate the Framework’s principles of food as nourishment, connection, and innovation. Between bites, take part in lively discussions and share your own food stories and pledges for a more sustainable food future. This is more than a meal — it’s a conversation about how we can use food to transform health, climate, and community across Northern Ireland. #playthinkbrink #atasteforchange #foodni 📍Downpatrick County Museum, English Street, The Mall, Downpatrick, GB BT30 6AH 🕛 Wednesday 11th March, Midday - 2.30pm Event link to book your place in bio. This event is proving popular so please get in quick. @downcountymuseum @visitmournegullionstrangford @visitnewryandmourne @visitnewryandmourne @food_ni @belfastfoodpartnership @visitbelfast

That was some weekend for one Brink! weekend. 5 NI Science Festival events, 4 venues, 2 cities, and a lot of hearts and minds getting involved in conversations around food, soil, biodiversity and environment. We kicked off on Thursday at @explorebrookhall with @loandslobbq hosting us for our first “Taste For Change” event, investigating citizen opinion around the Northern Ireland Food Strategy Framework. A beautiful venue, with gorgeous food provided by @loandslobbq , @theguildcafederry , and @bwwhitehorsehotel . Thanks to our wonderful facilitators Allan Bogle from @acornfarmni , @hannahbiernat , @okaneconor and @cheekileebee . Thanks to @food_ni and @daera.ni for supporting these events. Friday we were with our friends from @grow.ni and quarto, and were welcomed by the community of @gairdinanphobail , for our linen & flax fibres workshop, supported by the Culture & Stories teams of Belfast City Council. Saturday was a big day, hosting our ‘Hedge School / Plant Lab’ workshops, with Paul Kelly (Brink!), Craig Sands (Grow NI), and Gemma Reid (quarto) leading us through our @belfast_stories exhibition, followed by a session around the importance of respecting the soil under our feet, for growing everything that we need to survive on this planet. Those sessions were followed up with a cracking discussion with @drjuliashaw , talking through her latest book ‘Green Crime’. Thanks to Sarah Jones, Stephanie Garner & @find.jillian at the @niscifest for the invite to chair this, and for letting us host all these events as part of the festival. And on Sunday we wrapped up with our 2nd ‘Taste For Change’ event at @stgeorgesbelfast , with food partners @bethheartscake & @cheekileebee (Carrick Greengrocers), Rory Blight (@sourcegrow_ ), Ann McConnell (@nua_kombucha ) and Barry Ferguson (@benvistacsa ). Thanks to @aleksandarsbakery for the gorgeous food for this session. And thanks to everyone who helped make these events happen, and to everyone who came to them, because you brought them to life. #playthinkbrink #tasteforchange #NISF26

How do we revive home grown textiles in the face of the growing climate crisis? Grow alongside @gairdinanphobail and @playthinkbrink and #quarto held a workshop guiding us through traditional flax processing methods, using flax grown in the north of Ireland. In the heritage of our island, flax played a really important role 🌾 There is a growing discourse around the revival of flax and many wonderful folk involved ; you can follow some here @mallonlinen @fibreshed_ireland @talu.earth @kathykirwan_theartofnature @linenaliveni