The earliest writing systems—Egyptian Hieroglyphs and Mesopotamian Cuneiform—originated as pictorial symbols. During our 2024 Festival, Dr. Martin Worthington, a specialist in Near Eastern languages and literature (formerly of Trinity College Dublin and now based in Milan), introduced us to these ancient forms of writing. The response was so enthusiastic that we decided to expand this exploration of Cuneiform in 2025.

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Joseph Barber, a classicist and assyriologist based at the University of Oxford, who will co-lead this year’s programme. Dr. Barber’s research focuses on the religion, mythology, and literature of the Ancient Near East and early Greece. He is also actively engaged in the translation and publication of previously untranslated cuneiform tablets and brings with him a unique passion for recreating these ancient inscriptions by
hand.

He will collaborate with local artist Doirín Saurus, a well-known ceramicist based in Fethard, Co. Tipperary. Doirín brings a deeply rooted artistic perspective to the project, shaped by years of diverse experience, spanning public art commissions, artist residencies, exhibitions, and working with local schools and community groups. Her love for colour and form, along with her inventive use of underglazes and narrative ceramics, makes her an ideal partner for this unique fusion of ancient writing and contemporary clay work.

Together, Doirín and Dr. Barber will lead a series of hands-on workshops where participants will inscribe their own clay tablets using authentic Cuneiform techniques. These tablets will then be fired and mounted on a town wall as part of a permanent public art piece. Workshops will take place in August ahead of the Festival in September, allowing time for firing and installation.