A new hairdressing project designed to support climate change communication has received funding at University College Cork (UCC).
The A Brush with Climate initiative will see hairdressers in four chosen towns across Ireland provided with a suite of training materials about climate change, and the role that local communities can play in addressing it.
The training materials will be co-developed by UCC, The Environmental Forum (TEF) and hairdressers, based on the Discourses of Climate Delay research, which highlighted the pervasive and complex ways in which the need for climate action is downplayed.
Workshops with hairdressers will co-develop role play methodologies to assist in conversations on local climate mitigation and adaptation actions, including the top six most impactful personal climate actions.
The project is being led by Dr Maria Kirrane, from the Office of Sustainability and Climate Action, working with the Research Ireland MaREI Centre at UCC. It received €63,000 in funding under the Research Ireland Discover Programme.
Hairdressing as an influential profession
“The grant will allow for engagement and activation of an influential profession that exists within every town, but has heretofore been untapped in Ireland,” said Dr Kirrane. “Hairdressers and barbers not only provide a service for people; they are a real hub for conversation and social spaces within a community. Their reach is broad and gives the possibility of reaching a cohort of people that may not be involved in local environmental groups and the usual pathways of climate conversation and action. The relationship between client and hairdresser is a deeply personal and trusting one.”
There will be a specific focus on towns that have negative experiences from climate-related extreme weather events. The project, inspired by a hairdresser-led initiative in Sydney, Australia, will evaluate change in knowledge, attitude and behaviour in the participating hairdressers through pre-surveys and post-surveys and focus group discussions.
“We will co-create role play exercises with hairdressers, which will be tested and implemented in salons,” added Dr Kirrane. “A change in knowledge, attitude and behaviour amongst the hairdressers would be a strong indicator of success, as would any perceivable change in attitude in the clients.”
