Our River is our Culture (DRIFT Wrap Party)

DRIFT says goodbye (for now) to the river with a triple bill looking at our relationship with the water, now and in the future:

Joe Laverty: Shallow Waters (talk and presentation)

Lough Neagh is the largest body of water in Ireland and the UK. The Lough is central to life in the North of Ireland but also has 9% of it’s catchment area in the Republic of Ireland. It is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Europe, and it is dying right in front of us. A perfect storm of pollution, sand dredging, poor regulation, invasive species and archaic ownership is leading to a near collapse of the Lough's ecosystem, most visibly realised through the blooms of toxic blue-green algae every summer.

Folklore suggests many differing accounts of how Lough Neagh ‘appeared’ and folklore plays a huge part in the life of the people who reside upon its shores. However, folklore and tradition sit side by side with heavy industry and large-scale agriculture that is killing the Lough.

Shallow Waters aims to investigate the way myth & tradition sit alongside heavy industry despite being at odds with each other. Through a photographic investigation of the landscape, it’s people and traditions, Shallow Waters aims to reflect the lived reality of Ireland's complicated relationship with it's natural environment and to chart a thread of connection between these opposing engagements with the shallow waters of Lough Neagh, as it fights the twin threats of pollution & regulatory negligence.

The Future Blueprint: Inis Nua (short film screening)

A “sci-firish” fever-dream where folklore collides with architectural prophecy, Inis Nua is a film about the consequence of simply leaving your mess behind.

In a far future where rising seas and failing soil have driven people from their homeland, a techno-titan manufactured island named INIS NUA carries the brightest minds offshore in search of answers. Promising utopia, the vessel soon reveals its true nature: sentient, ravenous, and unwilling to let its passengers return. Blending Irish myth with Tokyo-futurist aesthetics, INIS NUA charts three chapters; Exodus, Glitch, and Return, to tell a haunting story of temporary migration, memory, and machines.

Project Creators: Dr Rebecca Jane McConnell, Cathal Crumley, Professor Greg Keeffe, and Dr Sean Cullen supported by the AHRC funded project Future Island-Island

Laura Mac and Wild Belfast: Our Lagan (short film screening)

Documentary short about the River Lagan in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Told through interviews by Marine Biologist Cara Bradley, Conservationist Dakota Reid, Ecologist Erin McKeown, and Sound Artist and Researcher Matilde Meireles, Our Lagan takes the audience on a journey along the Lagan to discover its diverse ecosystem, and the challenges the river and the species who call it home face.

Background:

Laura Mac is an emerging documentary filmmaker from Belfast. Having spent the majority of her tv and film career working within production management, Laura felt like 2025 was her year to finally get behind the camera and make the transition into the editorial and technical side of film making - marking a new chapter in her creative journey.

This event is accessible to wheelchair users - contact Drift for more details if needed.

Capacity is limited, so if you can't attend this event, please be kind and return your ticket.

Wrap up warmly! The Drift Space is sheltered but unheated so please dress for the outdoor temperature. Blankets and cushions will be available but we recommend bringing an extra warm layer as there can be a cool breese down on the water.

Please bring drinking water if required.

Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

In the event of extreme weather, this event will be rescheduled or cancelled.