Why Swifts?
Swifts in Ireland are in decline, we have lost 40% of our swifts in the last ten years. They are now on the red list of birds of conservation concern. We are aware of just one nesting pair left in Monasterevin, and we need your help as a community to change this.

Migratory birds connect people, ecosystems and nations. They are symbols of peace and of an interconnected planet. Their epic journeys inspire people of all ages, across the globe (inclusive, like the Earth Charter)

The Earth Charter is a document with 16 principles inspiring a global movement for building a just, sustainable and peaceful world. It is the product of a decade-long, worldwide dialogue on shared values. The Charter offers a sense of interdependence and shared responsibility for the well-being of all people, the greater community of life, and future generations. Further information can be found here

San Aer Flight of the Swift project will consist of 3 main workshops (with 2 additional optional meetups), the first two workshops will open a discussion on the habitat of the swift, but also on the connectedness of life. We hope that this will be the baseline of the project, a continuing dialogue throughout, as we gather and collect community stories: oral history and old wives’ tales, weaving The Earth Charter into every fibre of this project. Monasterevin community has grown a lot in recent years, this is a chance for people to get to know each other and to learn from each other through shared story exchange.

Through drawing and printmaking, we’ll explore what we love about birds, why they are important and how they feed our imagination. We’ll open discussions on sustainability in our communities, and how we might better monitor the nesting boxes and engage with Birdwatch Ireland. We will Introduce Monasterevin Community to the principles of the UNESCO Earth Charter, and how compassion is the outcome of our project.

Using our drawings and words, we’ll make prints using eco-practices such as gelli plates or letterpress or screenprinting. We’ll introduce the group to research on the swift, look for volunteers to monitor the nests, and report and engage with Birdwatch Ireland, Wild Kildare and Biodiversity Ireland.

Painting, construction and assembly of the Swift Nesting boxes will be completely under the guidance of Blueway Art Studio. No prior experience is required.

How will it work?

We will share an “Open Call” to the community online, we will be looking for intergenerational groups (families or friends of different ages) who are willing to commit to the ethos of San Aer Flight of the Swift and to positive climate action. There is a maximum of 14 group spaces to be the nest box-makers. However, there are also spaces for drawing and print activities to become our writers, storytellers, artists who will explore the theme of flight, of the swift and our community. The content from these workshops will become a community exhibition.

• Booking is essential with limited spaces.
• Bookings are based on small intergenerational groups of 2-3 people (max per box).
• There will be 14 group spots available, when you book a space you are booking for your group of 2-3 people.
• Participants explore their own creativity in a supportive and friendly environment
• Participants explore how to work collaboratively in a creative team.
• Participants will develop their own design thinking process as they try drawing, mark-making and different print techniques such as printing on a 1942 letterpress.
• Participants explore our sense of place, heritage and biodiversity through positive climate action
• Enhance the well-being of our community through compassion by active participation in biodiversity solutions for the conservation of the swift population.
• PLEASE NOTE: This is a publicly funded project (funded through Kildare’s Creative Ireland Bursary Award 2023). Therefore, photographs of the event will be shared on social media, online, in newspapers and on television. By booking these workshops you are consenting to photography of the event (including young people)

Intergenerational means people of different ages, it can be a child with a parent, grandparent, older sibling, aunt, or uncle. All young people under 18 years must be accompanied by an adult in their group.

In each workshop, we gently help the participants to tease out topics so they can experiment with colour, texture, and form; and produce creative outcomes that fill them with pride.
Just as important as the artwork they create is the confidence they gain in their own abilities as they become comfortable with exploring fresh ideas and sensory experiences and using their imaginations!

This is not a one-off box-building craft project, as a 3-part series of workshops it allows time for reflection and discussion on the Earth Charter and biodiversity. The first 2 workshops are very important to open discussion on the habitat of the swift but also on how all life is connected and how you can be a good ancestor for future generations.

At the end of these workshops, Blueway Art Studio (Angelina Foster, Nessa Doran O’Reilly and Emily Rainsford) and Monasterevin Tidy Towns will collate material for an ongoing dialogue on the experience for the participants to have going forwards, which will inform new activities for 2024.
Please add each participant’s name, age and approx address in the notes when booking, including the email and mobile number of the guardian. If you have any questions please contact projects@BluewayArtStudio.ie or Angelina on 086 7329680. As outlined above we can only facilitate 14 group spaces of 2-3 people, we will release the 14 group spaces for the box builders first, if you prefer to be involved in non-nest box building activities such as drawing, writing, printmaking please email projects@bluewayartstudio.ie