A Brush with Climate public showcase

20 Apr 2026

Today we welcomed hairstylists from across Cork to the Aula Maxima for a wonderful showcase of A Brush with Climate, an innovative project that places climate conversations at the heart of everyday life. Funded by Research Ireland, this project supports salons to become climate leaders in their own communities using the setting of the salon chair to inspire meaningful conversations and positive behaviour change. Participating stylists were formally presented with certificates of completion by the President.

Led by Dr Maria Kirrane, A Brush With Climate, which commenced in 2025, empowers hairstylists to engage their clients in conversations about climate change. Combining UCC’s expertise in climate change and communications with The Environmental Forum’s experience in local community climate action, this project was designed to inspire interest and encourage positive action-oriented discussions in everyday life.

Co-created with a team of hairstylists across Cork, this project delivered a suite of resources to support hairstylists to talk about climate change with their clients with a view to inspiring the clients to take tangible actions. These include mirror stickers, bingo cards, information cards and a bespoke web resource providing information on tangible actions that can make a difference. The project also delivered climate training to hairstylists, covering themes such as climate impacts, climate action, and myth-busting to ensure they are confident and informed when engaging with clients.

By embedding climate awareness in everyday experiences, A Brush with Climate will continue to spark meaningful conversations to drive broad societal change while sharing learnings with public engagement practitioners, social science researchers, and hair and beauty professionals.