Dive into an evening of seaweed cuisine to celebrate the value of the ocean in our lives

On 28 November 2017, celebrity chef Joe Shannon (TV3) hosted an evening of seaweed cuisine in Belmullet, Co. Mayo, which was open to the public. The educational seaweed workshop follows a filmmaking workshop for local Transition Year students earlier in the day, which will be led by renowned film-maker Risteard Ó Domhnaill (‘The Atlantic’).

These workshops form part of an ongoing educational program around the remarkable health benefits of seaweed, held in conjunction with the ERASMUS project 'Feed the world 2050'. The upcoming event, which is supported by the European Sea Change project, will promote inter-generational knowledge exchange by bringing together seaweed harvesters, students, and the public, to raise awareness about the historical use of edible seaweeds for medicinal purposes and as a famine food in Ireland, alongside the more recent recognition of seaweed as a ‘super-food’.

During the film workshop, Risteard Ó Domhnaill will equip the students from Our Lady’s Secondary School, Belmullet, with a variety of the latest filming and editing techniques. The budding film-makers and young ocean champions will use these new skills to produce personal and engaging short films about the exciting dietary uses of plankton and algae as alternative protein sources. The students will be encouraged to engage with the local community, using both video and sound to capture their attitudes to the breadth of potential seaweed products, and highlighting the relevance of the ocean to us all.

Risteard Ó Domhnaill is keen to involve younger generations to share our heritage, "I am very excited to be part of this initiative that highlights the richness and potential of the natural environment on our Atlantic coast, and to work with young people to help them realise the massive opportunities that nature can provide here in Erris".

Members of the public are invited to join the evening cooking demonstration, which will explore the health benefits of sustainably produced seaweed, and of course the growing world of delicious seaweed cuisine! The audience will discover how to get the best out of local, sustainably-sourced seaweed using Joe Shannon’s very own tasty, unique recipes. The students will take their skills from the film production room to the kitchen, creating their own seaweed dishes to compete for the top prize in ‘The Cook Off’.

Chef Joe Shannon from the Radisson Blu Hotel and Spa in Sligo, an avid supporter of seaweed and all things locally produced, is looking forward to sharing this passion with those present, “I am so proud to be a part of such an auspicious event, which will showcase seaweed as one of the finest treasures that this island of ours has”.
New and experienced seaweed harvesters, local politicians, community groups, marine scientists and members of the community are invited to attend the cooking demonstration and share their knowledge. The event will improve Ocean Literacy, connecting us with the ocean and its impact on our daily lives. These activities will be broadcast to a much wider audience in an educational film about seaweed.

Hosted by ‘Magician Mairtín the Mentalist’, the evening promises to be an exciting dive into our ocean world and one of its invaluable resources. Organised by Social Scientist Ann Ruddy, Redrose Developments, in conjunction with the European Sea Change project and supported by the ERASMUS project 'Feed the world 2050', the event is part-funded by Mayo County Council, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, and local Mayo Counsellor Theresa Whelan, with prizes sponsored by Galway Aquarium. Both workshops will take place in Aras Inis Gluaire, Belmullet.

Further details about the event can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/events/155189841662767/ and https://www.facebook.com/wildatlanticseagarden
For more information on Ocean Literacy, visit the Sea Change Project’s website: www.seachangeproject.eu

Notes for Editors
The Sea Change project is funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement n° 652644. The project began in March 2015 and will run until February 2018. The Marine Biological Association, UK is coordinating the project. AquaTT is the project dissemination partner.
For press queries, please contact:
Emer Cooney, AquaTT (email: [e-mail], Tel: [phone])

Keywords

Ocean Literacy, Aquaculture, Seaweed, Filmmaking, Workshop

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Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Finland, France, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, United Kingdom