Vessels of Time: How can art preserve memory in ecological change, with Laura Skehan explores the research and development processes of sculpture and ceramic practice through making experimental seed banks and living sculptures. Across four hours participants will create small clay vessels that hold seeds connected to personal, culinary, or family heritage. These sculptural pieces will serve as miniature living archives, preserving local agricultural and cultural memory. By combining ecological fieldwork, material exploration, and reflective storytelling, the workshop invites participants to consider the deeper histories and futures embedded in the act of planting and making.

3–4 Hour Workshop

14:00 Arrival + Welcome
Tea/coffee if possible. Gentle arrival.
Intro to theme: “How can art preserve memory in ecological change?”
Brief presentation (5–10 min) of:
One artwork
A quote or idea (e.g. seed sovereignty, climate loss, or traditional foodways, thinking about Michael Marder, Braiding Sweetgrass, or some of Donna Harraway, keeping with the troubles, mention different social art projects such as The Tree School with DAAR, Clodagh Emoe, Fiona Hallinan, Deirdre O Mahony, and Hanna Baumann’s Municipal Kitchens).

14:20-14:50 Material Walk (Optional Light Foraging Walk or Site Encounter)
Short walk (or stay in the garden/nearby green space), weather dependent.
Invite participants to:
Collect fallen natural materials. Take photos. Write or record short memory notes connected to plants, food, or place. (If indoors or rainy: bring a tray of natural materials and printed photos of flora to interact with instead.)

14:50-15:10 Sharing + Prompt
Regroup. Circle conversation.
Prompt: “Tell us about one plant or seed that connects to a story in your life.” Distribute seeds and clay. Participants choose seeds that resonate.

15:10-16:30 | Making Session: Vessels for Memory
Short clay demo: pinch pot or slab forms + imprinting techniques.
Participants create a small seed-holding vessel or a “living sculpture.”
Encouraging, texture from natural materials, form that reflects the memory, or the plant.
Embedding seeds in the sculptures (optional – talk about growing/longevity).

Ask reflective questions like:
“What’s being preserved here?”
“Is this vessel for the future, the past, or both?”

16:30-17:00/17:30 Finishing Touches + Group Ritual
Add carving, written text, drawings to the piece (if time permitting).
Go outside to plant/display/photograph the vessels (weather permitting).
Each participant shares a sentence about their piece.
Group reflection: How does this change how we think about care, time, or resilience?