Project plan
Title: It’s all about Peat
Start: September 2019
Duration: 2 years
Project initiative: Jorinde Brandligt and Christi Wijnen
Why this project
Times are changing. Old traditions and customs are being re-assessed, a healthy and sustainable environment is on everybody's agenda. We want to document what could be the last period in Ireland that the cutting and burning of turf for daily use is permitted.
Project description
Telling the story by investigating the use of peat and turf soils in Ireland in all its facets and everything around it today. Photography complemented with sound clips such as singing, poetry and stories. They tell the story of the Irish and capture the atmosphere. We want to portray the users when they work on the bog, in their home situation around the peat fire or the stove. We want to capture the peat landscape in various situations, as well as the protests, the power plant and the environmental activists.
Use of peat soil or "bog" starts in spring with cutting the turf. After stacking and turning the turf on a regular basis so that it can dry for months, in late summer it is brought in which is a festive moment. The whole family is involved in this process, children start turning peat from an early age.
The EU
In the meantime, the EU is concerned about environmental issues. When burning peat, quite a lot of CO2 is released and they now want to ban the use of peat, in the first instance the large-scale use for power plants and later perhaps also the private use. This is met with a lot of resistance from the population. "Stay away from our traditions! We decide for ourselves!" the Irish shout. But at the same time they are not always careful with their beloved bogs. The bog is often used as a landfill. Where the peat is once cut or in places where the peat is too rocky, the land is worth nothing, it is called "wasteland"; only good for your garbage to disappear. Since the official landfill is quite expensive, people sometimes prefer this to the expensive, municipal landfill. Besides waste being dumped, quads cross around on the land, conifers are planted and it is bare-grazed by sheep. All disastrous for the soil. Because of the reduced surface area, the bogs are now increasingly protected.
Our motivation
Jorinde lived in Ireland and worked a piece of bog with the neighbors for peat supply. One day when her car broke down, she was advised to just let it disappear in the black water of the bog, nobody would ever know and free of charge. She didn't follow up on that advice of course, but she found the mess on the wastelands shocking. Refrigerators, cars, construction waste, everything just thrown in the field or in the pitch-black water.
At the same time, turf is the pride of the Irish. Every self-respecting pub has a peat fire. The peat fire in our local pub had not been put out for over 200 years, they kept a close eye on that. People at home also did everything on peat, from heating to cooking and baking, that was, and still is, very common in the countryside.
'This contradiction fascinated me and remained in my head, every time I went back to Ireland I was surprised by this behavior.
That is why I decided to do research for this project together with Christi, also because there is still very little to be found on this matter. It is both a photogenic topic and an audio / musically interesting topic, so we decided to make a combination of the two. Only with the unique sound of what happens around such a fire, you can understand a little about how this tradition is rooted in the life and history of the Irish.'
Urgency of the project
The burning of peat is currently very topical in Ireland. Environmental organizations argue for a total ban due to CO2 emissions. The Irish are strongly against this, they think they are entitled to their traditions and that they can do whatever they want with their private bog.
Ireland is the last country in Europe where this tradition is still alive and it could just as well be that it also disappears there. That is why everything has to be recorded, documented for posterity, because not too long ago we also burned peat here in the Netherlands. However, these traditions have disappeared and have not been captured carefully.
'We want to show this theme from all sides, the beautiful old tradition but also the downside and the schizophrenia in it. The mistreatment of the bog, the protests against the EU, everything is important. We feel the schizophrenia in the society, the environment at one site and the tradition and history at the other site.
Peat vs. Turf, what's the difference?
It's peat while it's in the ground, it's turf once it's dug and dried.
Approach
Establishing contacts with various organizations and funds for financial and practical assistance in Ireland and the Netherlands.
We contacted people in Ireland who want to participate in this project. In October 2019 we went to Ireland for a first week to follow up on these contacts, to make first photo / audio reports and to make further agreements for the coming year.
Next step
We are expecting to go to Ireland two more times within the coming year to record the different moments that are important in the peat cycle. In addition, we will visit other authorities, such as a peat-fired power station, environmental organizations such as the IPCC and possibly attend protests or meet campaigners.
In pubs and in people's homes we will visit singers / poets and storytellers and make soundclips.
Expected result
Capturing / documenting an age-old tradition, burning peat and everything around it. In addition, documenting the topicality of the day and making all of this into an artistic and objective document, in which both the people and the environmental organizations know themselves to be heard.
Publication
Through a photo exhibition in both Ireland and the Netherlands, supported with sound clips from singing, music, poetry and storytellers.
Compile a book together with an Irish writer/poet and designer.
After the first visit in October 2019, this website is created to keep interested parties, participants, funds and other organizations informed throughout the project.
Writing articles in the meantime and offering them to newspapers and magazines in order to get attention for the project and to further finance the project.
Funding
In October 2019 we received our first funding from:
- the Rosa Pierson fund
- Calibro Consulting & Management