Trade Routes

• Venue: Harbour Plaza
• Sunday & Saturday
  11:00 - 19:00 | Free
• Performance & Special Events

Image courtesy of Oxfam Ireland: Basket Weavers – Nyombo, Tanzania

Inspired by Fred Pearce’s superb book Confessions of an Eco Sinner, Trade Routes, curated by the dlr Festival of World Cultures for its 10th Anniversary, invites you to delve deeper into the decisions we make on daily purchases.

This question, played out at Trade Routes over the Festival weekend, journeys through the lifecycles of many of the products we buy: highlighting the potential impacts to our environment, exploring issues pertaining to fair and equitable employment rights and the unfair rules of international trade, offering alternatives through sustainable production and energies, waste recycling and transport. Trade Routes is a highly interactive take on the small ways in which we can change our personal lifestyle and an insight into the bigger challenges on the global political landscape.

Leading organisations active in the area of trade justice and sustainable living have create site-specific installations especially for the event.

Global Challenges / Local Solutions a DIY Fashion Installation created by Re-dress, an inspiring and interactive exploration of trade justice and sustainability in the clothing industry.

A visual and performance piece imagined by participants of Dundrum-Rathdown Youth Service in collaboration with Comhlámh and Trócaire; a unique take on current trade injustices.

Showcasing the Rediscovery Centre Ballymun’s innovative reuse and recycling projects, guitarists Aidan Roberts & Andy Stapelton perform on two uniquely crafted recycled guitars and artists from the Dublin Secret Wars team paint a live mural using paint from the Centre’s Community RePaint project.

In celebration of the beloved bike, Rothar invites fellow cyclists to treat their bikes to a pampering session with maintenance workshops throughout the day, alongside unicycle performances, recycled jewelry and much more.

In recognition of 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity designer and artist Susan Leen has created a site specific interactive installation focusing on the future of the world’s butterfly population. Audiences are encouraged to respond to the piece with their responses becoming an integral part of the piece.

For fun, be amazed at the environmentally themed hair sculptures of Osadia, test your dexterity at our knitting circle with a twist and take part in the junkyard music workshop and jam session or just chill out on the Harbour Green. For those who want to delve a little deeper Trade Routes Discovery Space offers an expansive talks and workshops programme, with something for everyone young and old, covering a diverse range of topics from food sovereignty, craft recycling, fair trade and trade justice to Community Gardening, transport alternatives and living foods. Download a full 2010 Trade Routes Workshops & Talks programme HERE.

Trade Routes is a mini Festival all of its own and is fully powered by Glas, providers of renewable energy solutions.

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