Laoise Murray covers The Air We Share exhibition for The Irish Times.
Read it <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/environment/2025/08/22/making-the-invisible-visible-galway-community-uses-art-to-highlight-air-pollution-impact/">here.</a>

The Air We Share in the Irish Times

Artist Christopher Steenson and Assistant Curator Tom McClean join Gary McMahon in studio for Galway Bay FM&#8217;s ACE show to discuss The Air We Share exhibition opening at Galway Arts Centre.
Listen to the interview <a href="https://www.galwaybayfm.ie/podcasts/arts-culture-entertainment/clifden-arts-festival-and-the-air-we-share-exhibition-200437">here</a>.
&nbsp;

Galway Bay FM interview with Gary McMahon

<h2>‘The Air We Share’ combines art, science and community to explore air quality and climate through a new lens</h2>
<a href="https://www.galwayartscentre.ie/">Galway Arts Centre</a>, in conjunction with <a href="https://www.galwaycity.ie/">Galway City Council</a>, today (14.08.25) launched a new exhibition that seeks to engage the public on environmental health and air pollution. Developed between artists, climate scientists and local communities, the exhibition features artworks that translate real-time air quality data into immersive artworks, highlighting the hidden impact of air pollution on our shared environment.
The exhibition is the culmination of a ten-month artist-in-residence programme at the heart of ‘The Air We Share’ – a collaborative climate action initiative that explores the causes, impacts and potential solutions to air pollution through art, citizen science and community action. The initiative is led by Galway City Council and forms part of the Council’s broader climate action plan, which aims to cut carbon emissions by over 50% within the next five years and improve air quality citywide.
Working closely with scientists from University of Galway and residents of Galway’s Westside – a designated decarbonising zone – the commissioned artists were asked to “make the invisible visible” by creatively interpreting air quality data and fostering public engagement on climate action.
The resulting works include:
<ul>
<li>Leon Butler’s Phosphene – a digital installation that transforms air quality data captured across Galway city in real time into sculptural and digital forms, inviting visitors to rethink how we experience and respond to environmental information.</li>
<li>Christopher Steenson’s Where does the body end – an ambient sound installation that takes the idea of the atmosphere as a physical body to explore our connection to the world through breath. Incorporating writing, sculpture and kinetic elements, the piece draws on concepts from philosophy and meditation to create an evolving soundscape that responds to live air quality data detected in the gallery.</li>
<li>The 9 Freedoms for the Air by a place of their own – a large collective textile artwork created jointly with the Westside community through a series of participatory workshops with scientists and legal experts, imagining future air rights.</li>
</ul>
“Each of these works shows the power of creative practice in unlocking complex issues,” said Director and Curator at Galway Arts Centre, Megs Morley. “Together, they show how art can deepen public understanding of climate and environmental health, and inspire local responses to global challenges.”
Chief Executive of Galway City Council, Leonard Cleary, added: “Air pollution is one of the most urgent public health challenges we face. ‘The Air We Share’ forms an important part of a wider suite of actions in our climate action plan. Raising awareness and fostering deeper community engagement are essential to meeting our goals. These commissions show how creativity can open up new ways of thinking about environmental health, and how turning scientific data into shared experience can empower people to act.”
Dr Liz Coleman from the University of Galway’s Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies, one of the partners in the initiative, emphasised that data alone doesn’t shift behaviour. “This collaboration with artists and the public has helped transform abstract data into something people can feel and respond to – a vital step in making air quality a priority and supporting meaningful collective change.”
The exhibition opens to the public this Saturday, 16th August at 2pm with a launch reception, and runs until Sunday, 21st September. Entry is free and a full programme of talks, tours and public events will run alongside the exhibition. For details, visit <a href="https://www.galwayartscentre.ie/whats-on/the-air-we-share/">galwayartscentre.ie</a>.
<div id="attachment_197" style="width: 1100px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-197" class="wp-image-197" src="http://server.theairweshare.ie/assets/uploads/2025/08/NO-FEE-5-The-Air-We-Share-exhibition.jpg" alt="" width="1090" height="1558" />Artist Christopher Steenson pictured with a ceramic windchime, created together with residents of Galway’s Westside, which forms part of his installation &#8216;Where Does the Body End?&#8217; . The windchime’s strands represent air particles and are one of the kinetic elements in the work, which takes the idea of the atmosphere as a physical body to explore how we are connected to the world through breath. PHOTO: Mark Stedman</div>
<div id="attachment_199" style="width: 1290px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-199" class="wp-image-199" src="http://server.theairweshare.ie/assets/uploads/2025/08/NO-FEE-11-The-Air-We-Share-exhibition.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="909" />Artist Leon Butler pictured with his installation ‘Phosphene’ ahead of the public opening of ‘The Air We Share’ exhibition at Galway Arts Centre this Saturday (16th August). ‘Phosphene’ transforms real-time air quality data captured across Galway city into sculptural and digital forms, inviting visitors to rethink how we experience and respond to environmental information. PHOTO: Mark Stedman</div>
<div id="attachment_203" style="width: 1290px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-203" class="wp-image-203" src="http://server.theairweshare.ie/assets/uploads/2025/08/NO-FEE-10-The-Air-We-Share-exhibition.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="934" />Artists Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy (artist collective ‘a place of their own’) pictured installing a textile piece from their work ‘The 9 Freedoms for the Air’. Created in collaboration with members of Galway’s Westside community through participatory workshops with scientists and legal experts, the large textile artwork imagines future air rights. PHOTO: Mark Stedman</div>
 ‘The Air We Share’ is a recipient of the Creative Climate Action Fund, an initiative of the Creative Ireland Programme, funded by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport in collaboration with the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment. The fund supports creative, cultural and artistic projects that build awareness around climate change and empower citizens to make meaningful behavioural transformations.

Galway exhibition turns air pollution data into immersive public experience

If you have recently taken part in a The Air We Share event, we want to hear from you!
Michelle Burke, who is researching the role of arts and creativity for community and citizen engagement in climate action, is looking for participants to complete a survey on The Air We Share.
The research is led by University College Cork and is funded by Creative Ireland, who have funded 42 Creative Climate Action projects around Ireland, including The Air We Share. This research informs policy for funding future community arts-based climate projects, so any feedback that you have is deeply valued.
We would be grateful if you could fill out a participant survey for The Air We Share, please follow this link:
<a href="https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fscanner.topsec.com%2F%3Fd%3D1122%26r%3Dshow%26u%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fucc.qualtrics.com%252Fjfe%252Fform%252FSV_6XvXYpbkt4s9gRo%26t%3Dd097f442285c8a12b4032d14dc4a3b5c34cfbd06&amp;data=05%7C02%7CAdam.Stoneman%40galwaycity.ie%7C30a87960d5804c63da2508ddc3828dbd%7Cd7a0f67a0cae4b21abdbb5186f6e07a9%7C0%7C0%7C638881687685571557%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=iaiQzT2QBzhxObA8dtbUdRK1EUlIsR1iIkJU2Muh9Bw%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://ucc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6XvXYpbkt4s9gRo</a>
If you would like to complete a short anonymous interview with Michelle to give your insight on your participant experience please contact her at <a href="mailto:MBurke@ucc.ie">MBurke@ucc.ie</a>.&#8221;

We want to hear your views!

<h3>Public presentations mark culmination of ‘The Air We Share’ residency programme</h3>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-152" src="https://server.theairweshare.ie/assets/uploads/2025/06/Christopher-Steenson_TAWS-Airwalk_00015.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="792" srcset="https://server.theairweshare.ie/assets/uploads/2025/06/Christopher-Steenson_TAWS-Airwalk_00015.jpg 1301w, https://server.theairweshare.ie/assets/uploads/2025/06/Christopher-Steenson_TAWS-Airwalk_00015-300x198.jpg 300w, https://server.theairweshare.ie/assets/uploads/2025/06/Christopher-Steenson_TAWS-Airwalk_00015-1024x676.jpg 1024w, https://server.theairweshare.ie/assets/uploads/2025/06/Christopher-Steenson_TAWS-Airwalk_00015-768x507.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />
<a href="https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fscanner.topsec.com%2F%3Fd%3D1122%26r%3Dshow%26u%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.galwayartscentre.ie%252F%26t%3D692b3270a317ab499c99802be6ed844e9c5bd4ba&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cadam.stoneman%40galwaycity.ie%7C78d7b9a9097a486e85b408ddae4a8acc%7Cd7a0f67a0cae4b21abdbb5186f6e07a9%7C0%7C0%7C638858357381387437%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=4fZ4lwSS4tqKRHpC5YF2whz3B74nouc%2BEZap2%2Fymnoc%3D&amp;reserved=0">Galway Arts Centre</a>, in conjunction with <a href="https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fscanner.topsec.com%2F%3Fd%3D1122%26r%3Dshow%26u%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.galwaycity.ie%252F%26t%3D72fe178eaeb9df8bda99df50c1b08c65a364c42d&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cadam.stoneman%40galwaycity.ie%7C78d7b9a9097a486e85b408ddae4a8acc%7Cd7a0f67a0cae4b21abdbb5186f6e07a9%7C0%7C0%7C638858357381417850%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=nX0l28F%2F5iBBjelsMeZWOfcEcPzjwqnpD7US6XCfKL0%3D&amp;reserved=0">Galway City Council</a>, today (18.06.25) announced details of the newly completed artworks created through the ‘The Air We Share’ artist-in-residence programme. The programme supports artists to work with local communities and creatively respond to scientific research on air quality and climate, conducted by local citizens and climate scientists from the University of Galway. The art projects will feature at this year’s <a href="https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fscanner.topsec.com%2F%3Fd%3D1122%26r%3Dshow%26u%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.facebook.com%252Fwestsideartsfestival%26t%3D4cca4397c2f959b2199e2c5f767e0891d25528ee&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cadam.stoneman%40galwaycity.ie%7C78d7b9a9097a486e85b408ddae4a8acc%7Cd7a0f67a0cae4b21abdbb5186f6e07a9%7C0%7C0%7C638858357381434108%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=aqLR5MvnaRDNB8hQLNSPau4PDe%2FGtMSnSV0cqWjT4M0%3D&amp;reserved=0">Westside Arts Festival</a>, which takes place from 8th to 12th July 2025.
Following their selection last November, the commissioned artists – Christopher Steenson, Leon Butler, and A Place of Their Own (Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy) – have spent the past eight months developing innovative and collaborative works in close engagement with the Westside community and scientific partners.
Their works are:
<ul>
<li>Christopher Steenson: With Airwalk, multidisciplinary artist Christopher Steenson invites participants to experience air quality in a radically new way through a guided ‘airwalk’ during Westside Arts Festival. Wearing wireless headphones, participants will hear a live soundscape generated from real-time air pollution data via a portable ‘ambient sensing system’, developed with guidance from scientists at the Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies at University of Galway. This system is inspired by meditation practices that encourage an open awareness, using the natural rhythms of breathing as a focus. In addition, a collaborative clay artwork developed with ceramicist Alena Postnikova and local participants will be on display throughout the festival.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Leon Butler: Galway-based artist Leon Butler’s immersive installation Phosphene uses data from community air quality sensors to illuminate the invisible atmosphere and invites participants to explore Westside in a new light. During the festival, he will lead a hands-on experimental workshop, where participants will use phones and sensors to visualise air quality data and transform it into dynamic digital forms.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>A Place of Their Own (Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy): For The 9 Freedoms for the Air, the artist duo have been working with a community group in Westside to explore the rights and responsibilities of humans and ‘air dwellers’ – microbes, dust, insects, gases, birds, and even fairies. Drawing on insights from scientists, folklorists, and legal specialists, the group has created a large collective textile artwork. During the festival, the public will be invited to observe a live collective stitching performance and to take part in an embroidery workshop inspired by the project’s imaginative exploration of air justice.</li>
</ul>
The artist-in-residence programme lies at the creative heart of ‘The Air We Share’, a collaborative climate action initiative launched in July 2024. The initiative explores the causes, impacts, and potential solutions to air pollution through artistic interventions, citizen science, and community action in Galway’s Westside.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-150" src="https://server.theairweshare.ie/assets/uploads/2025/06/Phosphene_Image.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="675" srcset="https://server.theairweshare.ie/assets/uploads/2025/06/Phosphene_Image.jpg 1280w, https://server.theairweshare.ie/assets/uploads/2025/06/Phosphene_Image-300x169.jpg 300w, https://server.theairweshare.ie/assets/uploads/2025/06/Phosphene_Image-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://server.theairweshare.ie/assets/uploads/2025/06/Phosphene_Image-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />
‘The Air We Share’ brings together a consortium of local partners, led by Galway City Council, and including Galway Arts Centre, University of Galway, Westside Resource Centre, and Galway Culture Company. During their residencies, the artists worked closely with these partners and had access to their facilities, expertise, and networks.
Commenting on the commissioned works, Megs Morley, Director and Curator of Galway Arts Centre, said: “The artist-in-residence programme has been an incredibly rich and collaborative process, bringing together artists, local communities, scientists, and cultural organisations in Galway. Through their work, each artist has created a unique and imaginative lens through which we can reflect on air pollution, climate, and our shared environment. Art is uniquely positioned to make these complex issues tangible, relatable, and accessible to the public.”
Leonard Cleary, Chief Executive of Galway City Council, added: “Galway City Council is proud to support ‘The Air We Share’, a transformative climate action initiative that highlights air pollution as a critical environmental health risk and supports Galway’s wider climate ambitions. The residency programme demonstrates how creativity can raise awareness of air quality, foster deeper community engagement around climate action, and inspire cultural and behavioural shifts. As the project’s lead partner, we are delighted to have supported the artists over the past six months, and we look forward to seeing their innovative works presented at the Westside Arts Festival.”
James Coyne, the Chairperson of Westside Arts Festival, said: “’The Air We Share’ project is an excellent addition to the festival programme and a great opportunity for local people to engage with a range of artists with very different approaches and practices. The coming together of community, art and science provides a fertile space for the sharing of ideas and knowledge and for collaboration on the challenges posed by air pollution and climate change.”
The full Westside Arts Festival programme is available <a href="https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fscanner.topsec.com%2F%3Fd%3D1122%26r%3Dshow%26u%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.facebook.com%252Fwestsideartsfestival%26t%3D4cca4397c2f959b2199e2c5f767e0891d25528ee&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cadam.stoneman%40galwaycity.ie%7C78d7b9a9097a486e85b408ddae4a8acc%7Cd7a0f67a0cae4b21abdbb5186f6e07a9%7C0%7C0%7C638858357381449223%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=BzEiS4RWmgBgAk4G2zuPZiv6tCyf5tAovpXviMmDWGo%3D&amp;reserved=0">here</a>. The artists’ workshops and the guided ‘airwalk’ are free to attend but must be booked in advance by contacting Westside Resource Centre on 091 528325. The collective stitching performance is drop-in and does not require booking. 
The artists’ works will also form part of a public exhibition at Galway Arts Centre later this year, where expanded versions of these works will be presented from 15th August to 21st September, alongside a programme of tours and events. Further details will be announced in due course.

Artists’ works exploring air quality and pollution to premiere at Galway’s Westside Arts Festival

<div id="attachment_143" style="width: 1194px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-143" class="wp-image-143" src="https://server.theairweshare.ie/assets/uploads/2024/11/DSF4024_2.jpg" alt="" width="1184" height="718" />Brendan Smyth of the University of Galway&#8217;s Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics, facilitating the workshop at Westside Resource Centre, November 2024. Photo: Avi Ratnayake</div>
An intergenerational family workshop of children and adults making and programming low-cost air quality sensor units took place during the Galway Science and Technology Festival on 16 November in the Westside Resource Centre.  The event helped participants of all ages to better understand the causes and consequences of the present global climate and ecological crisis and the opportunities that exist to come up with solutions.
Dr Liz Coleman, Lecturer, Physics, School of Natural Sciences, University of Galway and the Project&#8217;s Scientific lead, said:
<blockquote>&#8220;It’s a huge part of our work to bring current research to the public, to share the science with the community, to inform but also to arm the public with the knowledge, the methods and the data to enforce change within their communities. The quality of our air, and more broadly, the state of the environment has an impact on everyone, so any real solutions will require everyone’s input and the more equipped everyone is – with knowledge, with skills, with ideas, the more likely we are to find solutions that will work for cleaner air, a healthier city and a thriving environment.&#8221;</blockquote>
The workshop was led and developed by Brendan Smith, Eoin Jordan, and Alex Acquier from the University of Galway’s Insight Centre for Data Analytics, and Dr Liz Coleman from the Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies.
<div id="attachment_140" style="width: 1206px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-140" class="wp-image-140" src="https://server.theairweshare.ie/assets/uploads/2024/11/IMG_2613_2.jpg" alt="" width="1196" height="801" />Build your own air sensor workshop, Westside Resource Centre, November 2024. Photo: Avi Ratnayake</div>
<div id="attachment_141" style="width: 1202px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-141" class="wp-image-141" src="https://server.theairweshare.ie/assets/uploads/2024/11/IMG_2961_2.jpg" alt="" width="1192" height="793" />Build your own air sensor workshop, Westside Resource Centre, November 2024. Photo: Avi Ratnayake</div>
<div id="attachment_142" style="width: 586px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-142" class="wp-image-142 size-full" src="https://server.theairweshare.ie/assets/uploads/2024/11/IMG_3216_2.jpg" alt="" width="576" height="841" />Build your own air sensor workshop, Westside Resource Centre, November 2024. Photo: Avi Ratnayake</div>
<div id="attachment_139" style="width: 1208px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-139" class="wp-image-139" src="https://server.theairweshare.ie/assets/uploads/2024/11/DSF4385_2.jpg" alt="" width="1198" height="796" />Pictured left to right: Brendan Smyth, Liz Coleman, Eoin Jordan, Alex Acquier, Westside Resource Centre, November 2024. Photo: Avi Ratnayake</div>

Community in Westside build their own air sensors

<div id="attachment_129" style="width: 1230px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-129" class="wp-image-129" src="https://server.theairweshare.ie/assets/uploads/2024/11/NO-FEE-10-The-Air-We-Share-artist-residence-programme.jpg" alt="" width="1220" height="836" />Pictured in Shantalla, Galway City’s Westside, at the announcement of three art commissions under the new ‘The Air We Share’ artists-in-residence programme are, from left, Christopher Steenson, Paula McCloskey, Sam Vardy and Leon Butler. PHOTO: Mark Stedman</div>
Residencies to unite art, science, and community in Galway’s ‘The Air We Share’ climate action initiative
<a href="https://www.galwayartscentre.ie/">Galway Arts Centre</a>, in conjunction with <a href="https://www.galwaycity.ie/">Galway City Council</a>, today (25.11.24) announced the awarding of three art commissions under an innovative new artist-in-residence programme. The programme supports artists to engage with the communities of Galway City’s Westside and to creatively respond to scientific research on air quality and climate conducted by local citizens and climate scientists from the University of Galway.
The artist-in-residence programme lies at the creative heart of ‘The Air We Share’, a collaborative climate action initiative launched in July 2024. The initiative examines and highlights the causes, impacts, and potential solutions to air pollution. Through artistic interventions, citizen science, and community action in Galway’s Westside, it aims to deepen public understanding of air and its critical role in our shared environment.
Aligned with these objectives, the selected artists have been commissioned to develop innovative and collaborative arts projects that interpret and respond to scientific concepts and data on air quality, the atmosphere, and climate. They have been awarded funding to develop their projects between now and July 2025, when the final artworks will be presented publicly.
<div id="attachment_125" style="width: 1230px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-125" class="wp-image-125" src="https://server.theairweshare.ie/assets/uploads/2024/11/NO-FEE-5-The-Air-We-Share-artist-residence-programme.jpg" alt="" width="1220" height="846" />NO REPRO FEE 25/11/2024 Artists announced for new residency programme focusing on air quality and pollution. Pictured today at the ‘Sliding Rock’ in Shantalla, Galway City’s Westside, at the announcement of three art commissions under the new ‘The Air We Share’ artists-in-residence programme are, from right, Christopher Steenson, Leon Butler, Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy. The residency programme supports artists to engage with the communities of Galway’s Westside and to creatively respond to research on air quality and climate conducted by local citizens and University of Galway scientists. Part of ‘The Air We Share’, a collaborative climate action initiative launched in July 2024, the programme aims to highlight the causes, impacts, and solutions to air pollution through artistic interventions, citizen science, and community action. The selected artists will develop innovative projects exploring air quality, climate, and the atmosphere, with public presentations planned for July 2025. For more information, visit theairweshare.ie. PHOTO: Mark Stedman</div>
The selected artists are:
<ul>
<li>Leon Butler: Galway-based artist Leon Butler’s project Phosphene blends art and technology to transform air quality data into a community experience. By using sensors to track and interpret this data, Butler will create “data sculptures” that reveal the health of Galway’s built environment in new ways. The project invites the local community to participate in design sessions to shape how air data is visualised, making the often-invisible aspects of air quality engaging and accessible to all.</li>
<li>Christopher Steenson: Multidisciplinary artist Christopher Steenson’s project I talk to the wind explores air pollution through the act of breathing. His work will incorporate sound walks using live air pollution data and community workshops that consider climate futures through writing and discussion. Drawing on Galway’s air quality data, insights from scientists, and ideas generated through community workshops, Steenson’s project will connect participants with the realities of air pollution and its impacts on daily life through the shared experience of breath.</li>
<li>a place of their own (Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy): Art and spatial practice ‘a place of their own’ envisions Galway in 2054, where communities of insects, dust, microbes, and other “air dwellers” draft a new set of rights for the air: The 9 Freedoms for the Air. This project explores the knowledge and stories of microscopic communities in our atmosphere and builds a speculative future scenario in Galway. Through workshops, local residents will join scientists and environmental legal experts to create a collective textile artwork that reimagines air as a shared resource deserving of protection.</li>
</ul>
‘The Air We Share’ brings together a consortium of local partners, which is led by Galway City Council and includes Galway Arts Centre, the University of Galway’s Centre for Creative Technologies, Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies, and the Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics, Westside Resource Centre, and Galway Culture Company. During their residencies, artists will have access to the facilities, support and resources of Galway Arts Centre, University of Galway, and Westside Resource Centre.
<div id="attachment_130" style="width: 1230px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-130" class="wp-image-130" src="https://server.theairweshare.ie/assets/uploads/2024/11/NO-FEE-1-The-Air-We-Share-artist-residence-programme.jpg" alt="" width="1220" height="849" />Pictured at the ‘Sliding Rock’ in Shantalla, Galway City’s Westside, at the announcement of three art commissions under the new ‘The Air We Share’ artists-in-residence programme are, rear from right, Christopher Steenson, Leon Butler, Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy with ‘The Air We Share’ project coordinator at Galway City Council, Adam Stoneman, and Dr Liz Coleman, University of Galway. PHOTO: Mark Stedman</div>
Director and Curator of Galway Arts Centre, Megs Morley, commented: “After a highly competitive open call selection process, we are thrilled to announce the artists chosen for ‘The Air We Share’ artist-in-residence programme. In the context of the current climate challenges that we face as a society, programmes such as ‘The Air We Share’ that bring together artists, scientists, communities, public institutions and cultural organisations are critical to our understanding and addressing the issues at hand.
<blockquote>“The selected artists bring an exceptional wealth of artistic experience to ‘The Air We Share’ programme. Over the coming months, they will develop engaging interdisciplinary projects that explore innovative ways of understanding the sources and effects of air pollution, as well as the actions we can take to catalyse positive collective change.”</blockquote>
Chief Executive of Galway City Council, Leonard Cleary added: “The artist-in-residence programme brings creativity into the heart of ‘The Air We Share’, a transformative climate action initiative guided by the theme ‘Making the Invisible Visible’, which highlights air pollution as a critical environmental health risk.
<blockquote>“Working alongside the <a href="https://www.galwaycity.ie/services/climate-action/netzerocities#:~:text=The%20Galway%20City%20NetZeroCities%20project%20partners%20are%20Galway%20City%20Council,of%20European%20Union's%20Green%20Deal.">EU&#8217;s Net Zero Cities initiative</a>, ‘The Air We Share’ helps inform Galway City Council&#8217;s climate policies and, through community involvement, aims to inspire cultural and behavioural shifts towards climate action grounded in fairness, collaboration, and positive change. As the project’s lead partner, we are delighted to support the artists in developing community-engaging interventions and look forward to their creative responses next summer.”</blockquote>
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‘The Air We Share’ is a recipient of the Creative Climate Action Fund, an initiative of the Creative Ireland Programme, funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in collaboration with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The fund supports creative, cultural and artistic projects that build awareness around climate change and empower citizens to make meaningful behavioural transformations.

Galway Arts Centre and City Council commission artists to respond to air quality and pollution research

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Eugene McKeown of The Galway Sound Lab and Liz Coleman of the Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies at the University of Galway will lead a walk through the city from Westside to Wolf Tone Bridge as part of the Climate Inspirations Festival.
Through this interactive walk participants will observe the city in a new way, using their senses to experience the atmosphere. We will explore the air, what populates it, and what it carries: Gases, particles, pollutants, stories, highlighting the sounds and man-made and natural sounds of the living city. 
Walking slowly, we will engage our senses as we move through the city, listening to the soundscapes and observing the quality of the atmosphere. At designated stops there will be a specific listening period and an opportunity for participants to discuss their experience of the sounds and atmosphere of the city.
The event is weather dependent and involves some uneven ground so suitable clothing is required.
This event is in association with The Air We Share and <a href="https://www.galwaycity.ie/NetZeroCities">NetZeroCities</a>.
Westside to City Centre 
Friday Sept 13 
6:15pm to 7:30pm  
Meeting Point: Westside Community Centre
To find out more, visit the <a href="https://galwayclimatefestival.ie/field-trips">Galway Climate Inspirations Festival website</a>.

Airs and Spaces – an interactive journey through Galway’s atmosphere and soundscapes

Galway Arts Centre is delighted to announce an open call for three significant artist-in-residence opportunities in Galway City. The residencies will respond to air pollution research, and engage with creative, climate, and community-driven solutions to air pollution as part of the climate action project, The Air We Share.
Open to artists and collectives from all disciplines, the Artist-In-Residence (A.I.R.) Programme will serve as the creative core of The Air We Share project. The residencies will run from October 2024 through till July 2025.
Artists are invited to propose ambitious, innovative, and collaborative projects that engage with the Westside communities, responding to scientific research on air quality and climate conducted by local citizen scientists and climate scientists from the University of Galway.
The Air We Share project tackles the issue of air quality and pollution through artistic interventions, citizen science, and community action in Westside, Galway. It explores air pollution issues and aims to propose creative solutions. Led by Galway City Council and supported by Creative Ireland, the creative production is managed by Galway Arts Centre.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-109" src="https://server.theairweshare.ie/assets/uploads/2024/08/DSCF6641.png" alt="" width="976" height="647" />
Galway Arts Centre Director and Curator Megs Morley commented:
“This is a significant creative opportunity for artists to engage with the communities of Westside, explore speculative futures, and, through research, deepen their understanding of air pollution and its critical relevance to our shared environment.”
Ruth Mulhern, Arts Officer, added:
“Galway City Council is delighted to collaborate on this exciting Creative Ireland project with Galway Arts Centre and our climate, science, creative, and community partners. The Air We Share offers a unique chance to deliver tangible creative outputs that respond to scientific research on climate action in Galway&#8217;s Westside.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="The Air we Share - Creative Climate Action in Galway" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1sB08IBOKIE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The Air We Share brings together a consortium of local partners, led by Galway City Council, including the <a href="https://www.universityofgalway.ie/creative-tech/#:~:text=The%20Centre%20for%20Creative%20Technologies,Artificial%20Intelligence%2C%20and%20Augmented%20Creativity.">University of Galway’s Centre for Creative Technology</a>, the <a href="https://www.universityofgalway.ie/c-caps/">Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies</a>, the <a href="https://www.insight-centre.org/">Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics</a>, <a href="https://www.westsideresourcecentre.ie/">Westside Resource Centre</a>, <a href="https://galwayculturecompany.ie/">Galway Culture Company</a>, and <a href="https://www.galwayartscentre.ie/">Galway Arts Centre</a> to develop responses to the climate and environmental challenge of air pollution. The project is a recipient of the <a href="https://www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/news/creative-climate-action-fund-ii-agents-for-change-projects-announced/">Creative Ireland Creative Climate Action Fund</a>.
The selected artists will begin their residencies in October 2024, with project outcomes to be completed by July 2025.
The deadline for applications is Monday, 30 September 2024.
For more information and to apply, click <a href="https://www.galwayartscentre.ie/for-artists/news-and-opportunities/">here</a>.

Launch of Artist-In-Residence (A.I.R.) Open Call

Lift off!

Making the invisible visible, by engaging with the issue of air quality through artistic interventions

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