A Green Rope for Sherkin revolves around an ever-growing Sugán Rope. The rope is crafted outdoors by many hands using only green wild plants sensitively harvested from the landscape it is created on. The process is guided by our hands, the natural material and the conversations that arise from working in Meitheal together. The rope-making outdoors gives space for Sherkin Islanders and Ukrainian newcomers to come together to explore experiences of island life, displacement, climate change, cultural heritage and ecology.

William Bock visited Sherkin Island several times between December 2022 and February 2023 and met islanders to get a sense of how to deliver the first R&D workshop. This R&D is envisioned as the first of a longer series of engagements with the community during which the growing rope becomes a catalyst for community-developed Land Art installations, performances, shared meals, ecology walks and talks. These engagements would span the growing season (May – October (Bealtaine – Samhaim) where there is abundant material on the island to work with and the weather is suitable for working outdoors. The first public presentation of the rope took place in late June 2023 during the community exhibition on the island and led to engagements that respond to the Celtic ‘Lughnasa’ harvest season.

The rope project on Sherkin is the first year of potential annual engagements with communities living in the West Cork archipelago of islands.