Speakers
Bernadette Burns is an artist, lecturer and programme co ordinator of the DIT BA Visual Arts course on Sherkin Island . Recent presentations include Triptych, a research collaboration between Loughborough University, Kingston University and the Dublin Institute of Technology at West Cork Arts Centre, Cork 2008 and Sherkin Island Art and Culture Pilot Programme- A case study at Teachers Academy, ELIA, Dublin 2002. Recent exhibitions include Body of Water, West Cork Arts Centre 2008 and Safia Galleria, Barcelona 2009, Jacob’s Ladder at NSC, Cork 2005 and Crossing Over, The Warren Gallery , Castletownsend.
David Puttnam spent thirty years as an independent film producer. His many award winning films include The Mission, the Killing Fields, Local Hero, Chariots of Fire, Midnight Express, Bugsy Malone, and the Memphis Belle.
He retired from film production in 1998 and now focuses on his work in education and the environment. He is Chancellor of the Open University. In 1998 he founded that National Teaching Awards which he Chaired until October 2008. He served as the first Chair of the General Teaching Council (2000-2002), and on a variety of other public bodies. He was founding Chair of the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, and for ten years chaired the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television, as well as serving as a Trustee of both the Tate Gallery and the Science Museum.. He has also recently become a Trustee of the Eden Project. He was also Vice President and Chair of Trustees at BAFTA (British Academy of Film & Television Arts) from 1994 to 2004, and was awarded a BAFTA Fellowship in 2006.
He was appointed President of UNICEF UK in July 2002, and played a key role in promoting UNICEF’s advocacy, awareness and fundraising objectives. He retired from this post in July 2009.
In February 2006, became Deputy Chairman of Channel Four, and in April 2006 Chairman of Futurelab. In April 2007 he became the Chairman of Profero. In the same month he was also appointed Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Climate Change Bill Scrutiny Committee. Also in 2007 he was appointed as Chairman of North Music Trust, The Sage Gateshead. Most recently he was made President of the FDA.
David was awarded a CBE in 1982, received a Knighthood in 1995 and was appointed to the House of Lords in 1997. In France he has been honoured as a Chevalier (‘85), Officer (’92) and, most recently (2006) Commander of Arts and Letters.
Declan Waugh is a Skibbereen native, an environmental scientist, chartered water manager, chartered environmentalist and environmental auditor. Declan has worked as an environmental manager, consultant and environmental researcher for 20yrs. He established EnviroManagement Services www.enviro.ie in 2007 having previously worked as Director of Planning and Development for SWS Group and is the founding Director of Partnership For Change www.partnershipforchange.ie a not for profit Climate Change and sustainability initiative he established in 2008. He received the Cork Environmental Forum Award for outstanding individual contribution to the environment in 2009. Declan is also a accomplished landscape photographer www.photogalleryireland.com
Dr. Eugenie Regan is an Irish ecologist, researcher, naturalist and author. She works at the National Biodiversity Data Centre where she co-ordinates projects such as the Irish Butterfly Monitoring Scheme and edits the bulletin, Biodiversity Ireland. She has published widely on Ireland’s biodiversity, in particular on Ireland’s insects. Eugenie is passionate about increasing our knowledge of Ireland’s invertebrates and communicating the importance of their conservation.
Geoffrey Mc Mullan – Born in Belfast, Geoffrey trained at London Southbank University London in Addiction Psychology and Counselling, where his dissertation explored the effects of Nature Awareness on people with addictions. Geoffrey recently presented Nature Awareness to a Wilderness Therapy Symposium in Boulder, Colorado, USA. As a Wilderness Living Skills; Tracking and Nature Awareness Instructor Geoffrey is looking at ways to integrate these skills into Wilderness/Nature Therapy Programme.
Jean Perry studied Agriculture in England becoming one of the first commercial organic growers in the UK. She moved to Ireland in 1989 with her husband and four daughters where they have created a beautiful and productive garden and the award winning Glebe cafe in Baltimore, West Cork.
John Simpson and Ian Humphreys have been involved in many combined projects. They have shared working studios and exhibited paintings together many times since they met in the 80’s. The fact that they both live and paint on neighbouring islands in West Cork is no accident. Their paintings, though very different in character, share the same inspirational sources- the landscape and culture of West Cork. On this occasion they will provide a live spontaneous combined painting performance!
Jose Ospina is a freelance development consultant and project manager. He is also a qualified Building Energy Rating (BER) Assessor, registered with Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI). http://www.joseospina.com/
Leanne O’Sullivan was born in 1983, and comes from the Beara peninsula in West Cork. She received an MA in English from University College, Cork in 2006. The winner of several of Ireland’s poetry competitions, including the Seacat/Poetry Ireland, Davoren Hanna and RTE Rattlebag Poetry Slam, she has published two collections, both from Bloodaxe, Waiting for My Clothes (2004) and Cailleach; The Hag of Beara (2009). In 2009 was awarded the Ireland Chair of Poetry Bursary Award, nominated by Professor Michael Longley.
Pádraig Whooley is Sightings Co-ordinator of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group and has traveled extensively overseas following his passion for cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises). When not scanning from the cliff tops and offshore Islands of West Cork for whales passing along the Irish south coast, Pádraig is promoting Ireland’s wealth of cetacean diversity and has both published and written extensively on the subject. http://www.iwdg.ie/
Walter Ryan-Purcell graduated from University College Dublin with an Agricultural Science degree in 1987. Co-founder McGill Environmental Systems (Ireland) Ltd. industrial composting business 1997. Founder BioPower Group plc bioenergy investment company 2007. Founder Schull Campus www.schullcampus.com ‘not-for-profit’ new learning forum; Director Association for the Sturdy of Peak Oil and Gas, ASPO. www.schullcampus.com
Video Presentations
AJ Jacobs – Is a American journolist and author. Jacobs was born in New York City and studied philosophy at Brown University. He is the editor at large for Esquire and previously worked for the Antioch Daily Ledger and Entertainment Weekly.
Michael Shermer -Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the Executive Director of the Skeptics Society, a monthly columnist for Scientific American, the host of the Skeptics Distinguished Science Lecture Series at Caltech, and Adjunct Professor of Economics at Claremont Graduate University.
Temple Grandin – Temple Grandin is a Doctor of Animal Science and professor at Colorado State University, bestselling author, and consultant to the livestock industry in animal behavior. As a person with high-functioning autism, Grandin is also widely noted for her work in autism advocacy and is the inventor of the hug machine designed to calm hypersensitive persons.
Tony Robbins -Is an American self-help author and motivational speaker. Robbins’ books include Unlimited Power: The New Science of Personal Achievement and Awaken The Giant Within.