Regaining a sense of belonging
The Time Machine
Exploring the Systems of The Home in rural Ireland; Past, Present and Future
THE TIME MACHINE is an immersive exhibition that was co-created with the community and transformed an old Bank in rural Ireland into a portal; transporting the viewer to the past and future to help us imagine ourselves in 2084.
Ireland
Local
Miltown Malbay
Mainly rural
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Yes
2024-09-20
No
No
No
As an individual partnership with other persons/organisation(s)
This project began with a question: how do we reimagine home, place, and future in a world shaped by change? In the heart of Miltown Malbay on the West Coast of Ireland, a former bank—a symbol of stability & loss —was transformed into a space where history & future converged. An immersive installation invited the community to step into a home from 1984 & 2084.
The project was about belonging, not as nostalgia, but as a dynamic relationship to land, culture, & one another.
It connected schoolchildren, elders, musicians, craftspeople, environmentalists, & storytellers, each contributing to a larger tapestry of possibility. But this wasn’t just about imagining the future; it was about practicing it. The old bank became a threshold, a place for testing, gathering, and imagining otherwise. It reminded us that spaces, like futures, are made & remade by those who dare to step inside.
Overall Aim
The project sought to explore how communities can reimagine their relationship with home, place, & the future through immersive, participatory experiences.
Target Groups
Residents of Miltown Malbay, with a focus on intergeneration.
Young people from local schools
Artists, musicians, craftspeople, & environmental scientists contributing to creative storytelling / local knowledge.
Achieved Outcomes
Transformation of space: A derelict space became a dynamic hub for story, workshops, & expression.
Community participation: Engaged diverse groups through Kitchen Table Conversations, workshops, & school collaborations.
Immersive Exhibition: Design & details built on ideas generated through Kitchen Table Conversations.
Cultural outputs: Exhibition, concertina composition & mural celebrated local heritage & environmental stewardship.
Knowledge-sharing: Workshops empowered participants with tools for resilience.
Community networks: Strengthened connections among local organisations, artists, & environmental groups.
The project was about belonging, not as nostalgia, but as a dynamic relationship to land, culture, & one another.
It connected schoolchildren, elders, musicians, craftspeople, environmentalists, & storytellers, each contributing to a larger tapestry of possibility. But this wasn’t just about imagining the future; it was about practicing it. The old bank became a threshold, a place for testing, gathering, and imagining otherwise. It reminded us that spaces, like futures, are made & remade by those who dare to step inside.
Overall Aim
The project sought to explore how communities can reimagine their relationship with home, place, & the future through immersive, participatory experiences.
Target Groups
Residents of Miltown Malbay, with a focus on intergeneration.
Young people from local schools
Artists, musicians, craftspeople, & environmental scientists contributing to creative storytelling / local knowledge.
Achieved Outcomes
Transformation of space: A derelict space became a dynamic hub for story, workshops, & expression.
Community participation: Engaged diverse groups through Kitchen Table Conversations, workshops, & school collaborations.
Immersive Exhibition: Design & details built on ideas generated through Kitchen Table Conversations.
Cultural outputs: Exhibition, concertina composition & mural celebrated local heritage & environmental stewardship.
Knowledge-sharing: Workshops empowered participants with tools for resilience.
Community networks: Strengthened connections among local organisations, artists, & environmental groups.
Community
Emotion
Intergenerationality
Immersion
Co-Design
This project was based on the belief that sustainability is a technical challenge & a cultural one, requiring a rethinking of how we live, what we value, and how knowledge is passed between generations. It transformed an unused bank into an immersive space where the past (1984) & speculative future (2084) coexisted, prompting visitors to reflect on how domestic life is shaped by, & shapes, broader ecological & economic systems.
Central to the project was a commitment to reducing environmental impact, advancing circularity, preventing biodiversity loss, and fostering regenerative, place-based economic models. These objectives were achieved through tangible actions and community involvement:
Reducing Environmental Impact & Advancing Circularity
Over 95% of set design, furniture, and props were sourced second-hand, mainly from local charity shops and reuse platforms, then re-homed or donated afterward, reducing waste. The exhibition featured practical tools for sustainable living, such as a Home Energy Kit, a MyGUG biodigester, and information on local food and textile repair services, encouraging long-term behaviour change. Workshops on solar innovation, soil health, biodigestion, composting, quilting, and jewellery repair reinforced skills that extend material lifecycles and minimise waste.
Nature-Based Solutions & Preventing Biodiversity Loss
The Marsh Fritillary Butterfly mural, co-designed with the Climate Action Team, raised awareness of an endangered species with local breeding ground. The project's engagement with soil chromatography by Dr Eileen Hutton & deep time, guided by geologist Prod Quentin Crowley, fostered a long-term view of sustainability, connecting geological, ecological, and human timelines.
Economic & Regenerative Impact
The project promoted local supply chains by highlighting local food and craft businesses, encouraging sustainable economic models.
The community decided where ticket revenue would be reinvested locally.
Central to the project was a commitment to reducing environmental impact, advancing circularity, preventing biodiversity loss, and fostering regenerative, place-based economic models. These objectives were achieved through tangible actions and community involvement:
Reducing Environmental Impact & Advancing Circularity
Over 95% of set design, furniture, and props were sourced second-hand, mainly from local charity shops and reuse platforms, then re-homed or donated afterward, reducing waste. The exhibition featured practical tools for sustainable living, such as a Home Energy Kit, a MyGUG biodigester, and information on local food and textile repair services, encouraging long-term behaviour change. Workshops on solar innovation, soil health, biodigestion, composting, quilting, and jewellery repair reinforced skills that extend material lifecycles and minimise waste.
Nature-Based Solutions & Preventing Biodiversity Loss
The Marsh Fritillary Butterfly mural, co-designed with the Climate Action Team, raised awareness of an endangered species with local breeding ground. The project's engagement with soil chromatography by Dr Eileen Hutton & deep time, guided by geologist Prod Quentin Crowley, fostered a long-term view of sustainability, connecting geological, ecological, and human timelines.
Economic & Regenerative Impact
The project promoted local supply chains by highlighting local food and craft businesses, encouraging sustainable economic models.
The community decided where ticket revenue would be reinvested locally.
This project reimagined a derelict bank as an immersive, living artwork—where history, culture, and speculative storytelling converged to create a space that was both deeply familiar and entirely new.
The aesthetic ambition was not just to design an exhibition, but to craft an experience: a journey through time that was tactile, engaging, sensory, and rooted in place. The objective was to show how design—when woven with local cultural memory and future possibility—can transform an ordinary space into a site of connection, wonder, and meaning.
The quality of experience was shaped by attention to detail, from the intimate textures of 1984’s domestic setting—patterned wallpaper, vintage furniture, the familiar weight of a rotary phone—to the speculative materiality of 2084, where windows imagined new ecologies and solar energy shimmered through translucent textiles. The narrative for each room was held in respective tech; radio & an AI 'Bean an Tí' audio. The rooms were not static; they invited interaction, reflection, & dialogue, allowing visitors to inhabit the past & the future as if they were stepping into a dream made real.
Cultural benefits were embedded throughout. Traditional music met speculative storytelling, with a commissioned concertina composition that carried the weight of history into imagined futures. The Kitchen Table Conversations ensured that design was not only visual but social—an experience built from shared voices. The Marsh Fritillary mural became an act of public storytelling, connecting biodiversity with local identity in a way that lives beyond the exhibition.
This project is exemplary because it demonstrates how aesthetics can be a tool for civic engagement—how beauty, when tied to memory & imagination, can make sustainability & change feel not just necessary but desirable. It shows that a future shaped with care, craft, & culture is a future people will want to step into.
The aesthetic ambition was not just to design an exhibition, but to craft an experience: a journey through time that was tactile, engaging, sensory, and rooted in place. The objective was to show how design—when woven with local cultural memory and future possibility—can transform an ordinary space into a site of connection, wonder, and meaning.
The quality of experience was shaped by attention to detail, from the intimate textures of 1984’s domestic setting—patterned wallpaper, vintage furniture, the familiar weight of a rotary phone—to the speculative materiality of 2084, where windows imagined new ecologies and solar energy shimmered through translucent textiles. The narrative for each room was held in respective tech; radio & an AI 'Bean an Tí' audio. The rooms were not static; they invited interaction, reflection, & dialogue, allowing visitors to inhabit the past & the future as if they were stepping into a dream made real.
Cultural benefits were embedded throughout. Traditional music met speculative storytelling, with a commissioned concertina composition that carried the weight of history into imagined futures. The Kitchen Table Conversations ensured that design was not only visual but social—an experience built from shared voices. The Marsh Fritillary mural became an act of public storytelling, connecting biodiversity with local identity in a way that lives beyond the exhibition.
This project is exemplary because it demonstrates how aesthetics can be a tool for civic engagement—how beauty, when tied to memory & imagination, can make sustainability & change feel not just necessary but desirable. It shows that a future shaped with care, craft, & culture is a future people will want to step into.
The project’s inclusion objectives centred on making sustainability & climate engagement accessible, affordable, & participatory for all community members, regardless of their background or experience. The goal was to create an environment where people from all generations, economic statuses, & abilities could engage with the themes of the exhibition, ensuring that sustainability wasn’t perceived as an elitist concern, but as a collective responsibility.
Accessibility & Affordability
The exhibition was free, ensuring that everyone, regardless of income, could access it. Workshops, such as those on quilting, composting, and jewellery repair, were designed to teach practical, low-cost skills, empowering people to adopt more sustainable lifestyles at no extra cost.
Kitchen Table Conversations were intentionally designed to be inclusive by covering accessible topics like food, energy, and waste, making it easy for everyone—no matter their background—to participate in discussions about their community's future.
Inclusive Approach
The project’s design was collaborative, with input from local residents, community leaders, and experts.
Community voting on ticket sale allocations allowed residents to actively participate in decision-making - supporting a youth project in 2025.
Continuous feedback collection through surveys and conversations ensured diverse community voices shaped the project’s direction, fostering a sense of collective ownership and governance.
Design for All Principles
The exhibition space was designed to be physically accessible to all, with intuitive layouts and sensory elements that engaged visitors of all abilities.
The project actively encouraged intergenerational participation, creating spaces for youth, elders, and everyone in between to share their ideas.
Accessibility & Affordability
The exhibition was free, ensuring that everyone, regardless of income, could access it. Workshops, such as those on quilting, composting, and jewellery repair, were designed to teach practical, low-cost skills, empowering people to adopt more sustainable lifestyles at no extra cost.
Kitchen Table Conversations were intentionally designed to be inclusive by covering accessible topics like food, energy, and waste, making it easy for everyone—no matter their background—to participate in discussions about their community's future.
Inclusive Approach
The project’s design was collaborative, with input from local residents, community leaders, and experts.
Community voting on ticket sale allocations allowed residents to actively participate in decision-making - supporting a youth project in 2025.
Continuous feedback collection through surveys and conversations ensured diverse community voices shaped the project’s direction, fostering a sense of collective ownership and governance.
Design for All Principles
The exhibition space was designed to be physically accessible to all, with intuitive layouts and sensory elements that engaged visitors of all abilities.
The project actively encouraged intergenerational participation, creating spaces for youth, elders, and everyone in between to share their ideas.
Community was at the heart of this project, with active participation at every stage, from design to implementation. The project was shaped through ongoing conversations & with local residents & community groups, ensuring that the community’s needs, values, & voices guided its development. This involvement not only created a sense of ownership but also ensured that the project was relevant to the people it aimed to engage.
Role & Level of Involvement
Community Leaders: Local leaders helped identify Miltown Malbay as the ideal location for the project. Through multiple meetings and consultations, they ensured that the project’s goals aligned with local priorities & needs. Their involvement was crucial in fostering local support & engagement.
Residents: The community played an active role in the exhibition’s design & content. Workshops on quilting, composting, and jewellery repair, among others, were led by local experts, empowering citizens to share their knowledge and skills. Through these hands-on activities, residents became both teachers and learners, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and knowledge transfer.
Kitchen Table Conversations: These six intergenerational dialogue sessions allowed community members to discuss important themes—such as food, energy, and waste—helping to shape the project’s content. These discussions deepened engagement by linking personal experiences with broader sustainability issues, while also building trust and unity within the community. One participant even lent the project personal items from 1984 including a diary, school books & records.
Youth: Local young people were actively involved in creative workshops that allowed them to imagine a future for their town. We also nominated one young person to become a 'future president' for 2084.
Community Voting: Attendees of the exhibition were given the opportunity to vote on how ticket sales would be used, ensuring the project’s legacy is locally attuned.
Role & Level of Involvement
Community Leaders: Local leaders helped identify Miltown Malbay as the ideal location for the project. Through multiple meetings and consultations, they ensured that the project’s goals aligned with local priorities & needs. Their involvement was crucial in fostering local support & engagement.
Residents: The community played an active role in the exhibition’s design & content. Workshops on quilting, composting, and jewellery repair, among others, were led by local experts, empowering citizens to share their knowledge and skills. Through these hands-on activities, residents became both teachers and learners, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and knowledge transfer.
Kitchen Table Conversations: These six intergenerational dialogue sessions allowed community members to discuss important themes—such as food, energy, and waste—helping to shape the project’s content. These discussions deepened engagement by linking personal experiences with broader sustainability issues, while also building trust and unity within the community. One participant even lent the project personal items from 1984 including a diary, school books & records.
Youth: Local young people were actively involved in creative workshops that allowed them to imagine a future for their town. We also nominated one young person to become a 'future president' for 2084.
Community Voting: Attendees of the exhibition were given the opportunity to vote on how ticket sales would be used, ensuring the project’s legacy is locally attuned.
Local Level
Community Members & Leaders: At the heart of the project, local citizens, including community leaders, were actively involved in shaping the design, content, and structure of the exhibition. Their role was to ensure that the project reflected local concerns, culture, and values. Through consultations and workshops, they contributed practical knowledge, ensuring the project was grounded in the community’s realities. This involvement fostered a strong sense of ownership and engagement.
Local Businesses & Experts: Local artisans, like the seamstress, horticulturist, and jeweller, contributed their skills to the workshops, bringing hands-on, sustainable practices to the community. This added value by ensuring the project stayed rooted in local craftsmanship and traditions while introducing participants to practical, sustainable skills.
Regional Level
Clare County Council & Climate Action Team: The regional authorities provided advisory support and logistical assistance. This collaboration led directly to the Marsh Fritillary commission. Collaboration with the local Transport for Ireland team allowed for targeted local transport planning & promotion of active travel for those attending.
National Level
Academic Mentors & Experts: Experts in areas such as solar energy, biodigestion, and systems thinking were consulted at the national level to provide scientific and technical expertise, ensuring the project’s content was both educational and innovative. Their involvement added significant value by linking the project to ongoing national efforts in climate research and sustainability innovation.
Community Members & Leaders: At the heart of the project, local citizens, including community leaders, were actively involved in shaping the design, content, and structure of the exhibition. Their role was to ensure that the project reflected local concerns, culture, and values. Through consultations and workshops, they contributed practical knowledge, ensuring the project was grounded in the community’s realities. This involvement fostered a strong sense of ownership and engagement.
Local Businesses & Experts: Local artisans, like the seamstress, horticulturist, and jeweller, contributed their skills to the workshops, bringing hands-on, sustainable practices to the community. This added value by ensuring the project stayed rooted in local craftsmanship and traditions while introducing participants to practical, sustainable skills.
Regional Level
Clare County Council & Climate Action Team: The regional authorities provided advisory support and logistical assistance. This collaboration led directly to the Marsh Fritillary commission. Collaboration with the local Transport for Ireland team allowed for targeted local transport planning & promotion of active travel for those attending.
National Level
Academic Mentors & Experts: Experts in areas such as solar energy, biodigestion, and systems thinking were consulted at the national level to provide scientific and technical expertise, ensuring the project’s content was both educational and innovative. Their involvement added significant value by linking the project to ongoing national efforts in climate research and sustainability innovation.
The Time Machine had a multidisciplinary approach that enriched both the content and the process.
Experts in solar energy, biodigestion, and ecodesign provided the scientific foundation for the project’s sustainability themes; Dr Jerry Murphy who runs the MaREI institute in Cork, Prof Quentin Crowley head of the Environmental Sciences in Trinity College Dublin and Dr Sarah Mc Cormack who leads solar innovation in Trinity College Dublin were mentors from the beginning of the project. Their insights informed the creation of solar-powered elements and the inclusion of biodigestion technologies, allowing visitors to engage with practical, future-oriented solutions for sustainable living. Murphy, Crowley and McCormack travelled to Clare to attended the opening of the project and delivered expert workshops the following day to the local community.
Local community leaders and residents contributed practical knowledge about their daily lives, traditions, and needs. Artist facilitators helped frame the project in terms of social sustainability, ensuring that it wasn’t just about environmental change, but also about fostering social cohesion and intergenerational dialogue.
Local experts Oonagh O’Dwyer (Horticulture), Eileen Considine (Dress Making) and Cora O’Grady (Vegan Chef) delivered workshops that engaged local community and celebrated their craft.
The design and aesthetic elements of the project were created by Cracking Light Productions who focused on delivering an immersive experience that blended art with science. Interactive elements were particularly effective as they fostered discussion between those attending.
The resulting installation had a holistic approach that engaged visitors on both an intellectual and emotional level.
The integration of art, science, and community dialogue ensured that climate adaptation was not just an abstract concept, but something tangible, relatable, and deeply embedded in local culture.
Experts in solar energy, biodigestion, and ecodesign provided the scientific foundation for the project’s sustainability themes; Dr Jerry Murphy who runs the MaREI institute in Cork, Prof Quentin Crowley head of the Environmental Sciences in Trinity College Dublin and Dr Sarah Mc Cormack who leads solar innovation in Trinity College Dublin were mentors from the beginning of the project. Their insights informed the creation of solar-powered elements and the inclusion of biodigestion technologies, allowing visitors to engage with practical, future-oriented solutions for sustainable living. Murphy, Crowley and McCormack travelled to Clare to attended the opening of the project and delivered expert workshops the following day to the local community.
Local community leaders and residents contributed practical knowledge about their daily lives, traditions, and needs. Artist facilitators helped frame the project in terms of social sustainability, ensuring that it wasn’t just about environmental change, but also about fostering social cohesion and intergenerational dialogue.
Local experts Oonagh O’Dwyer (Horticulture), Eileen Considine (Dress Making) and Cora O’Grady (Vegan Chef) delivered workshops that engaged local community and celebrated their craft.
The design and aesthetic elements of the project were created by Cracking Light Productions who focused on delivering an immersive experience that blended art with science. Interactive elements were particularly effective as they fostered discussion between those attending.
The resulting installation had a holistic approach that engaged visitors on both an intellectual and emotional level.
The integration of art, science, and community dialogue ensured that climate adaptation was not just an abstract concept, but something tangible, relatable, and deeply embedded in local culture.
This project is all about soft power, the transformation of thinking in a context that feels inviting, curious, familiar and expansive. In an age where climate action often feels like an isolated, urgent, and sometimes overwhelming task, this project opens a window onto a different kind of possibility: one where time itself becomes a bridge, connecting the present to the past and future through a series of intimate, personal stories. The fusion of immersive theatre, scientific insight, and community dialogue presents a radical departure from mainstream climate engagement.
While many efforts in sustainability focus on top-down policies or the spread of technical knowledge through policy, or government campaigns, this project focuses on HOME: how it feels, smells, operates, where we sit and eat, where we disagree. The 1984 and 2084 rooms, co-created with the community, invite people to remember their own history, and to step into future realities, not as abstract statistics but as vivid, tangible worlds shaped by choices made in the here and now. This imaginative leap from today’s reality to a future we can still shape challenges the fatalism so often found in climate discourse.
The Time Machine taps into local narratives—stories of the Marsh Fritillary Butterfly and the local landscape—alongside cutting-edge climate solutions, it invites people to feel the weight of ecological responsibility on a deeply human scale. The murals, the workshops, the intergenerational kitchen table conversations—these aren’t just ways to learn about climate change; they’re ways to live it together, to create a future that feels not like a burden but a shared, hopeful project.
It is here that the true innovation lies: in the intertwining of science, art, and community, this project offers a model of climate engagement that is as much about imagination and connection as it is about action. Key to this is the generation of a future that is neither dystopian or utopian but both.
While many efforts in sustainability focus on top-down policies or the spread of technical knowledge through policy, or government campaigns, this project focuses on HOME: how it feels, smells, operates, where we sit and eat, where we disagree. The 1984 and 2084 rooms, co-created with the community, invite people to remember their own history, and to step into future realities, not as abstract statistics but as vivid, tangible worlds shaped by choices made in the here and now. This imaginative leap from today’s reality to a future we can still shape challenges the fatalism so often found in climate discourse.
The Time Machine taps into local narratives—stories of the Marsh Fritillary Butterfly and the local landscape—alongside cutting-edge climate solutions, it invites people to feel the weight of ecological responsibility on a deeply human scale. The murals, the workshops, the intergenerational kitchen table conversations—these aren’t just ways to learn about climate change; they’re ways to live it together, to create a future that feels not like a burden but a shared, hopeful project.
It is here that the true innovation lies: in the intertwining of science, art, and community, this project offers a model of climate engagement that is as much about imagination and connection as it is about action. Key to this is the generation of a future that is neither dystopian or utopian but both.
From the beginning, the project prioritised collaboration with the local community. We met with community leaders and engaged with residents through a series of consultations and workshops to understand their values, concerns, and aspirations. This ensured that the project was relevant to the unique characteristics of Miltown Malbay. It's an incredibly musical town!
Creative workshops with young people helped shape some visual and conceptual elements of the exhibition, while community members contributed directly to the creation of content for the 1984 and 2084 rooms, which embodied different visions of the future.
Immersive Storytelling:
Drawing inspiration from the potential of immersive theatre, we crafted a multi-sensory experience that blurred the lines between past, present, and future. Step into 1984 and you could smell a faint hint of cigarette smoke, or eat a Jacobs biscuit. In the future the AI ‘Bean an Ti’ invited you to share some locally grown apple cake. The exhibition was not a static display, but a space for exploration, where visitors could interact with objects, engage with narratives, and agree or disagree about the things they would choose. The use of local histories and personal stories helped contextualise larger global issues, grounding abstract concepts in the familiar, tangible world of everyday life such as the Dunnes Stores apartheid strike or the new tune from Jack Talty that led them to the future. Interactivity was key—visitors didn’t just observe but participated in shaping the experience, whether by attending a workshop or voting on how ticket sales would be allocated.
Circular and Regenerative Practices:
From the sourcing of materials (primarily second-hand and recycled) to the post-project redistribution of exhibition elements, the project was designed with circularity in mind. Everything—from the furniture to the art—was either reused or repurposed, reinforcing the core sustainability message.
Creative workshops with young people helped shape some visual and conceptual elements of the exhibition, while community members contributed directly to the creation of content for the 1984 and 2084 rooms, which embodied different visions of the future.
Immersive Storytelling:
Drawing inspiration from the potential of immersive theatre, we crafted a multi-sensory experience that blurred the lines between past, present, and future. Step into 1984 and you could smell a faint hint of cigarette smoke, or eat a Jacobs biscuit. In the future the AI ‘Bean an Ti’ invited you to share some locally grown apple cake. The exhibition was not a static display, but a space for exploration, where visitors could interact with objects, engage with narratives, and agree or disagree about the things they would choose. The use of local histories and personal stories helped contextualise larger global issues, grounding abstract concepts in the familiar, tangible world of everyday life such as the Dunnes Stores apartheid strike or the new tune from Jack Talty that led them to the future. Interactivity was key—visitors didn’t just observe but participated in shaping the experience, whether by attending a workshop or voting on how ticket sales would be allocated.
Circular and Regenerative Practices:
From the sourcing of materials (primarily second-hand and recycled) to the post-project redistribution of exhibition elements, the project was designed with circularity in mind. Everything—from the furniture to the art—was either reused or repurposed, reinforcing the core sustainability message.
The value in The Time Machine is how locally specific it is but the project’s methodology and its outcomes offer numerous replicable elements that can be adapted to other places, communities, and contexts, making it a flexible model for creative climate engagement.
Participatory Design & Community Co-Creation:
The heart of the project lies in its community-driven approach, where local residents, artists, and experts collaboratively shape the content and structure of the experience. While the success of this approach is contingent on experienced artist facilitators the methods underpinning the approach are easy to transfer. The key learnings in what supported our community engagement include; bringing community champions on board early, leveraging existing community networks and groups, consistency in engagement - same day, same time, same place - using the means of communication that the community use such as Facebook, posters or flyers and Parish Notes. The success of the Kitchen Table Conversations was in the hospitality of the design. The community were invited to attend with something of value i.e. “bring an object you use every day or that you couldn’t live without”. These personal prompts made for an engaging and easy access to discussions about value, production, materials, supply chains etc.
Immersive Storytelling & Multi-Sensory Exhibitions:
The use of immersive theatre and multi-sensory design to communicate complex ideas—like sustainability and climate change—could be applied to other settings. Show people an idea of a future that is not all good and not all bad! The 1984 and 2084 room concept offers a tangible, experiential way to help communities understand the long-term implications of their current choices. Choosing a timeframe that brought the conversation back to 1984 was really helpful in making the leap forward a little less daunting, more playful, and we would recommend it as a potential tool for future mapping in other projects.
Participatory Design & Community Co-Creation:
The heart of the project lies in its community-driven approach, where local residents, artists, and experts collaboratively shape the content and structure of the experience. While the success of this approach is contingent on experienced artist facilitators the methods underpinning the approach are easy to transfer. The key learnings in what supported our community engagement include; bringing community champions on board early, leveraging existing community networks and groups, consistency in engagement - same day, same time, same place - using the means of communication that the community use such as Facebook, posters or flyers and Parish Notes. The success of the Kitchen Table Conversations was in the hospitality of the design. The community were invited to attend with something of value i.e. “bring an object you use every day or that you couldn’t live without”. These personal prompts made for an engaging and easy access to discussions about value, production, materials, supply chains etc.
Immersive Storytelling & Multi-Sensory Exhibitions:
The use of immersive theatre and multi-sensory design to communicate complex ideas—like sustainability and climate change—could be applied to other settings. Show people an idea of a future that is not all good and not all bad! The 1984 and 2084 room concept offers a tangible, experiential way to help communities understand the long-term implications of their current choices. Choosing a timeframe that brought the conversation back to 1984 was really helpful in making the leap forward a little less daunting, more playful, and we would recommend it as a potential tool for future mapping in other projects.
The Time Machine offers a model for how local actions can have a broader impact on pressing global issues in a number of ways:
Climate Change:
The project confronts the urgent issue of climate change by encouraging sustainable practices at the local level. It brings attention to the carbon spend of everyday life and highlights solutions such as solar energy, biodigesters, and upcycling. The use of immersive storytelling allows participants to visualise the consequences of today’s choices on future generations, fostering a sense of urgency and empowerment in the fight against climate change.
Resource Depletion & Circular Economy:
In a world where resources are rapidly depleting, this project exemplifies how circular economy principles can be applied in creative projects and in local communities. By reusing and repurposing materials, from second-hand furniture to recycled props, the project minimises waste and promotes a mindset of sustainability.
Social Isolation & Community Cohesion:
This project addresses the challenge of social isolation by creating inclusive spaces for intergenerational dialogue and community building. Through Kitchen Table Conversations and participatory design, it fosters meaningful connections among people of all ages and backgrounds, bridging generational divides and encouraging collaborative problem-solving. One attendee noted that the people she met through Kitchen Tables were not the people she normally saw at community events. These dialogues empower communities to take ownership of their futures, fostering a collective sense of belonging and shared responsibility.
Loss of Biodiversity:
By creating a mural of the Marsh Fritillary Butterfly, a nationally endangered species - in fact it is the only insect listed on Annex II for Ireland - and integrating biodiversity awareness into the project, it highlights the importance of local ecosystems in the broader context of global biodiversity loss.
Climate Change:
The project confronts the urgent issue of climate change by encouraging sustainable practices at the local level. It brings attention to the carbon spend of everyday life and highlights solutions such as solar energy, biodigesters, and upcycling. The use of immersive storytelling allows participants to visualise the consequences of today’s choices on future generations, fostering a sense of urgency and empowerment in the fight against climate change.
Resource Depletion & Circular Economy:
In a world where resources are rapidly depleting, this project exemplifies how circular economy principles can be applied in creative projects and in local communities. By reusing and repurposing materials, from second-hand furniture to recycled props, the project minimises waste and promotes a mindset of sustainability.
Social Isolation & Community Cohesion:
This project addresses the challenge of social isolation by creating inclusive spaces for intergenerational dialogue and community building. Through Kitchen Table Conversations and participatory design, it fosters meaningful connections among people of all ages and backgrounds, bridging generational divides and encouraging collaborative problem-solving. One attendee noted that the people she met through Kitchen Tables were not the people she normally saw at community events. These dialogues empower communities to take ownership of their futures, fostering a collective sense of belonging and shared responsibility.
Loss of Biodiversity:
By creating a mural of the Marsh Fritillary Butterfly, a nationally endangered species - in fact it is the only insect listed on Annex II for Ireland - and integrating biodiversity awareness into the project, it highlights the importance of local ecosystems in the broader context of global biodiversity loss.
Empowerment and Skill Building: Over the course of the project, 82 community members attended workshops on solar innovation, composting, clothing repair, and biodigestion, gaining practical skills to reduce their environmental impact and enhance local self-sufficiency.
Increased Climate Awareness: The immersive 1984 and 2084 rooms provided 434 attendees with a vivid, experiential look at future climate scenarios, prompting reflection on personal and collective actions to mitigate climate change. This deepened the community's understanding of sustainability and how local actions can contribute to global goals.
Civic Engagement: Through the Kitchen Table Conversations, 64 community members engaged in intergenerational dialogues about local sustainability, food systems, and future visions. This resulted in strengthened community ties, fostering inclusive participation in decision-making processes.
Fostering Social Cohesion: The project bridged generational divides, creating opportunities for young and older generations to collaborate and exchange knowledge. The Time Machine fostered social bonds.
Biodiversity Awareness: The mural of the Marsh Fritillary Butterfly, created through community consultation, raised awareness of local biodiversity and highlighted the importance of preserving native species. This has created a ripple effect, encouraging individuals to take an active role in protecting local ecosystems.
Indirect Benefits:
The project’s replicable methodology can be applied to other rural communities, amplifying its impact by creating models for climate engagement and sustainability in regions that often face barriers to participation.
The project’s integration of local knowledge into climate action has opened pathways for broader community involvement in future initiatives, laying the groundwork for sustained, long-term benefits to both local communities and the environment.
Increased Climate Awareness: The immersive 1984 and 2084 rooms provided 434 attendees with a vivid, experiential look at future climate scenarios, prompting reflection on personal and collective actions to mitigate climate change. This deepened the community's understanding of sustainability and how local actions can contribute to global goals.
Civic Engagement: Through the Kitchen Table Conversations, 64 community members engaged in intergenerational dialogues about local sustainability, food systems, and future visions. This resulted in strengthened community ties, fostering inclusive participation in decision-making processes.
Fostering Social Cohesion: The project bridged generational divides, creating opportunities for young and older generations to collaborate and exchange knowledge. The Time Machine fostered social bonds.
Biodiversity Awareness: The mural of the Marsh Fritillary Butterfly, created through community consultation, raised awareness of local biodiversity and highlighted the importance of preserving native species. This has created a ripple effect, encouraging individuals to take an active role in protecting local ecosystems.
Indirect Benefits:
The project’s replicable methodology can be applied to other rural communities, amplifying its impact by creating models for climate engagement and sustainability in regions that often face barriers to participation.
The project’s integration of local knowledge into climate action has opened pathways for broader community involvement in future initiatives, laying the groundwork for sustained, long-term benefits to both local communities and the environment.
