A project looking at the future of food production, town planning and urban planting for Callan has been launched. The collaborative project will draw on the expertise of product design professionals and students, as well as architects and council engineers, who will pool their knowledge and ideas to make plans for the town.  ‘Til Now, the overall title of the project, will bring the worlds of art and design together with the local community with the aim of adapting to climate change and connecting to the biodiversity crisis. This is a Climate Action Fund II project funded by Creative Ireland. Last week a group of design students from Central St Martin’s College, in London, made their first trip to south Kilkenny to get a sense of the area, and the people, they will be designing with and for. They were accompanied by award-winning system designer Kaye Toland,  and Dr Jane Penty, an educator and sustainable design consultant. Ten of their third-year product design students are taking on the challenge of designing a product that could be grown or produced in the Callan area, from the five key areas of wool, fruit and veg, bread, hay and milk. It is hoped to find a commercially viable, local and sustainable product. As part of their introductory visit to the Callan area the students visited Highbank Orchard, an organic apple farm that has successfully diversified to produce juice and cider, cider vinegar, apply syrup, gin, vodka and rum, in their own little distillery.  They also visited Riversfield Organic Farm in Callan which grows organic vegetables year-round, and the farm of Suzanna Crampton in Bennetsbridge, where she practices regenerative farming techniques.placeholder image
A project looking at the future of food production, town planning and urban planting for Callan has been launched. The collaborative project will draw on the expertise of product design professionals and students, as well as architects and council engineers, who will pool their knowledge and ideas to make plans for the town.  ‘Til Now, the overall title of the project, will bring the worlds of art and design together with the local community with the aim of adapting to climate change and connecting to the biodiversity crisis. This is a Climate Action Fund II project funded by Creative Ireland. Last week a group of design students from Central St Martin’s College, in London, made their first trip to south Kilkenny to get a sense of the area, and the people, they will be designing with and for. They were accompanied by award-winning system designer Kaye Toland,  and Dr Jane Penty, an educator and sustainable design consultant. Ten of their third-year product design students are taking on the challenge of designing a product that could be grown or produced in the Callan area, from the five key areas of wool, fruit and veg, bread, hay and milk. It is hoped to find a commercially viable, local and sustainable product. As part of their introductory visit to the Callan area the students visited Highbank Orchard, an organic apple farm that has successfully diversified to produce juice and cider, cider vinegar, apply syrup, gin, vodka and rum, in their own little distillery.  They also visited Riversfield Organic Farm in Callan which grows organic vegetables year-round, and the farm of Suzanna Crampton in Bennetsbridge, where she practices regenerative farming techniques.

International students launch planning project for future development of Callan

Sian Moloughney
By Sian Moloughney

Reporter

Published 8th Mar 2024, 21:11 GMT

'Til Now will focus on planting, local products and urban design

As they return to London the student will begin work on their projects and will deliver them to the ‘Til Now organisers in the coming months.  ‘Til Now has two further strands to the project - Future Town Design in collaboration with Studio Weave architects, and Future Town Planting in conjuction with Fennelly’s. Future Town Design will see Studio Weave work with Kilkenny County Council’s area engineer for the Callan area, Declan Murphy,  The architects will concept designing an outdoor biodiversity classroom in the Abbey Meadow and an artists residency and outdoor seating area in the Moate Field, with a green bridge adjoining them.  This is in partnership with the local authority and will find funding through the Outdoor Recreation and Infrastructures Scheme in 2024/5.

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As they return to London the student will begin work on their projects and will deliver them to the ‘Til Now organisers in the coming months.  ‘Til Now has two further strands to the project - Future Town Design in collaboration with Studio Weave architects, and Future Town Planting in conjuction with Fennelly’s. Future Town Design will see Studio Weave work with Kilkenny County Council’s area engineer for the Callan area, Declan Murphy,  The architects will concept designing an outdoor biodiversity classroom in the Abbey Meadow and an artists residency and outdoor seating area in the Moate Field, with a green bridge adjoining them.  This is in partnership with the local authority and will find funding through the Outdoor Recreation and Infrastructures Scheme in 2024/5.

ABOVE: Minister Malcolm Noonan spoke to the students Future Town PLanting, curated by Etaoin Holahan, will be a project to plant trees across five sites in the town - at the GAA pitch, two residential areas and two public parks. It is hoped to plant 200 meters of hedging and more than 200 trees as well as creating a new festive event, a Meitheal, to scythe-cut the two common meadow public spaces in the town,  to enhance biodiversity, as well as grafting/growing events. The first of these workshops took place last weekend when an overgrown bed in one of the public spaces was reclaimed and prepared for planting. There was also an apple tree pruning workshop. ‘Til Now takes its title from the power ballad 'Alone' with its refrain ‘Til now I always got by on my own,’ underlining the project’s community led approach to regeneration.  All three strands of the project will address how to incorporate people with diverse backgrounds from various disciplines, skills, struggles and motivations to create a eco- social and spatial justice that advocates for biodiversity and protection for all. It aims to connect people in the town to the biodiversity crisis using a multi-disciplinary art and design project as a catalyst for climate action. 

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ABOVE: Minister Malcolm Noonan spoke to the students Future Town PLanting, curated by Etaoin Holahan, will be a project to plant trees across five sites in the town - at the GAA pitch, two residential areas and two public parks. It is hoped to plant 200 meters of hedging and more than 200 trees as well as creating a new festive event, a Meitheal, to scythe-cut the two common meadow public spaces in the town,  to enhance biodiversity, as well as grafting/growing events. The first of these workshops took place last weekend when an overgrown bed in one of the public spaces was reclaimed and prepared for planting. There was also an apple tree pruning workshop. ‘Til Now takes its title from the power ballad 'Alone' with its refrain ‘Til now I always got by on my own,’ underlining the project’s community led approach to regeneration.  All three strands of the project will address how to incorporate people with diverse backgrounds from various disciplines, skills, struggles and motivations to create a eco- social and spatial justice that advocates for biodiversity and protection for all. It aims to connect people in the town to the biodiversity crisis using a multi-disciplinary art and design project as a catalyst for climate action. 

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