Fife Seaweed Fest

A first for Fife! Initiated by Amanda Root, Jayson Byles and me, this was a packed programme of events and workshops in different venues across North-East Fife from St Andrews to Anstruther, St Monans to Methilhill.  Themes included foraging, food, nutrition, art, soil enrichment and marine ecology.

In Brief:
9 days, 30 events, 12 venues, 10 collaborators, 11 artists, 5 funders, 3 local businesses, 500+ people!

Feedback:

"I attended the launch evening night with my sister who lives in Fife. I live in Thanet in the south of England and have an newish avid creative interest in algae. The evening was relaxed and friendly and kept to time. I enjoyed both films. Into The Oceanic had a good range of interviewees and brought carbon sequestration into focus. The Mother of The Sea was historically interesting yet sad about the challenges the nori industry currently faces.  Thank you for the delicious seaweed canapés and that marvellous dulce brownie. As a sober person a cup of tea is always very welcome."

"This day was a festival of fun and enlightenment. St Andrews Botanic Gardens was a great venue, linking land plants and seaweed. The Boiler Room is a terrific meeting-of-minds space. The balance of art installations, scientific material and practical insights was excellent, demonstrating that transdisciplinary thinking is key to appreciating our natural world. The focus on seaweed was sustained throughout the day in a multisensory way and was enriched by tasty food and delightful story-telling.

The blending of fact, food and folklore offered an inspiring seaweed synergy.

Sea change? The event(s) I attended have shed a new, but realistic, light on the potential, value and beauty of seaweed. I have experienced a mind-set change (from seaWEED to seaPLANT.

Congratulations to all the organisers for their courage and vision in bringing this series of activities to the coastline of Fife."

The website is www.fifeseaweedfest.com.