Skip to content
Bernat Klein Foundation Symposium | Call for Abstracts
  • View our YouTube channel
  • View our images on Instagram
  • Follow us on LinkedIn
  • View our Bluesky account
  • Resources
  • Get Involved
  • Research
    • Project Overview Exploring how design-led research can support greener, more resilient futures for island and coastal communities.
    • 2025 – Present A thematic approach
    • 2023 – 2025 One vision, five work packages.
    • Fellowships Space for researchers, designers, artists and creative practitioners to collaborate, experiment and learn.
  • About
    • About Future Island-Island A collaborative project led by Ulster University, with Queen’s University, The Glasgow School of Art, University of the Arts London
    • Why Rathlin Island? Northern Ireland’s only inhabited offshore island, Rathlin is a place shaped by weather, story, and memory.
    • Our People Connecting academic research with lived experience, practical making and community knowledge.
    • Glossary
  • Journal
  • Events
  • Research
    • Project Overview Exploring how design-led research can support greener, more resilient futures for island and coastal communities.
    • 2025 – Present A thematic approach
    • 2023 – 2025 One vision, five work packages.
    • Fellowships Space for researchers, designers, artists and creative practitioners to collaborate, experiment and learn.
  • About
    • About Future Island-Island A collaborative project led by Ulster University, with Queen’s University, The Glasgow School of Art, University of the Arts London
    • Why Rathlin Island? Northern Ireland’s only inhabited offshore island, Rathlin is a place shaped by weather, story, and memory.
    • Our People Connecting academic research with lived experience, practical making and community knowledge.
    • Glossary
  • Journal
  • Events
  • Resources
  • Get Involved
  • View our YouTube channel
  • View our images on Instagram
  • Follow us on LinkedIn
  • View our Bluesky account

Future Island-Island Goes to Bere Island


August 18, 2026

We’re delighted to be bringing the Rathlin Wool Project to Bere Island Cork on Tuesday 18th August as part of our ongoing Future Island–Island collaboration.

Join us for a day of creativity, conversation and collaboration celebrating the heritage and future potential of island wool.

🧶 2:00–3:30pm – Children’s Wool Workshop
Young makers are invited to explore the wonderful world of wool through spinning, knitting and weaving. This fun, interactive session will encourage children to discover traditional skills and experiment with natural materials in creative new ways.

✨ 4:00–5:30pm – Show & Tell for Crafters and Makers
We’re inviting local crafters, makers and anyone interested in wool, textiles and island innovation to join us for a Show & Tell. We’ll share some of the products, prototypes and ideas developed through the Future Island–Island Project in collaboration with Rathlin Island residents, artists, designers and makers. It’s an opportunity to exchange ideas, spark new collaborations and explore how island communities can reimagine the value of local wool.

🎤 7:30–9:30pm – Evening Presentations
Join us for an inspiring evening exploring the collaboration behind the Future Island–Island Project and the journey of island wool from fleece to finished product.

Hear from:

  • Professor Alison Gault, researcher and educator at Belfast School of Art, Ulster University
  • Chris Weiniger, General Manager of Donegal Yarns
  • Jayne Harkness, seventh-generation wool farmer, artist and researcher

Together, they will share insights into the wool supply chain, the opportunities and challenges facing the sector, and the outcomes of this unique island-to-island collaboration. Whether you’re interested in farming, craft, design, sustainability or community development, this promises to be an engaging and thought-provoking discussion.

Everyone is welcome. We’d love to see you there and continue the conversation about the future of island wool together.

Share this event:

Back to all events
  • View our YouTube channel
  • View our images on Instagram
  • Follow us on LinkedIn
  • View our Bluesky account
© Copyright, Future Island-Island, 2026. Design by Bag of Bees
  • Cookies
  • Privacy