Diverse perspectives on the environments we live and work in

Save the Date: The Change-Makers Club, Tuesday, 16 December

The next get together of The Change-Makers Club will explore two diverse perspectives on wellbeing, community engagement, and the environments we live and work in. The session takes place on Tuesday, 16 December, at 1pm via Microsoft Teams.

ATU PhD student Beth Brown will discuss her research on the impacts of pollution on water-based recreation, highlighting both the wellbeing benefits of blue spaces and the risks posed by environmental degradation.

ATU PhD student Beth Brown

The title of her talk is: ‘Watery Research: Quantifying and Capitalising on Eco-Activism in Irish Water Sports for Planetary Health’.

In her talk Beth will be picking apart her thesis title, introducing the idea of planetary health as a way of understanding humans and nature as two things that are not separate, but in fact interdependent and relational. Through a planetary health lens, she will explore the benefits of water-based recreation on human health and wellbeing.

She will also discuss how environmental degradation can complicate these experiences – what Clifton Evers describes as ‘polluted leisure’ – and the implications of water pollution on water sports. Her talk will finish on a more hopeful note considering how water sports communities can help protect our waters and introduce her project’s aims.

ATU Gaelic Games Development Officer Damien Coleman

ATU Gaelic Games Development Officer Damien Coleman will speak about his recent academic paper, ‘Caution! Achievement Subjects at Work: A Hanian Analysis of Policy Enactment in Gaelic Games.

His work looks at the emotional, relational, and day-to-day realities of policy implementation within the GAA, drawing on Han’s critique of neoliberal subjectivity.

Damien boasts a wealth of experience, having worked with Connacht GAA as a Sports Development Manager (Provincial Hurling Director), and Galway Games Manager over a 28-year period. These roles covered national, provincial and county personnel and project management, strategies and operations.

For more information, or to join the 16 December meeting, contact stephen.glennon@atu.ie or donal.loftus@atu.ie.

New members are always welcome.