The ‘Day-Crossing Farm’ installation was created by visual artist Marie Brett to shine a light on drug manufacturing and human trafficking in Ireland. Photo: Jed Niezgoda

Art shines a light on human trafficking

An immersive art installation shining a light on the issues of human trafficking, modern day slavery and drug farming in Ireland is underway on Leeside.

Created by visual artist Marie Brett, ‘The Day-Crossing Farm’ was developed over two years in consultation with human justice and advocacy organisations, scholars, gardeners and people with lived experience of trafficking and forced labour. The installation coincides with recent CSO statistics showing that illegal drug manufacture and cultivation offences almost doubled nationally last year.

The figures show an overall increase of more than 180 drug manufacture and cannabis growing offences on the figures recorded in Ireland in both 2018 and 2019. Since 1 January, gardaí have made 120 cannabis cultivation seizures around the country, 14 of which were made in Cork.

Detective Superintendent Sean Healy of Anglesea Garda Station said although general criminal activity was curtailed heavily due to Covid-19 restrictions, there has been a corresponding increase in cannabis cultivation activity. “Since early 2020, several hundred cannabis growhouses have been uncovered by gardai and a small number of these are being investigated in relation to human trafficking,” he said.

The art installation opened just days after Ireland successfully secured its first convictions under the Human Trafficking Act 2008. According to a recent report on human trafficking and exploitation in Ireland by the Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, the number of adults and children trafficked to the island of Ireland between 2014 and 2019 is at least 30 per cent higher than originally recorded. The report acknowledged an estimated 800 victims of human trafficking living within Irish communities.

Speaking about her work, installation creator Marie Brett said she has been researching compelling real life stories of human trafficking, drug farming and modern day slavery often linked to debt bondage.

“Human trafficking is one of the most concerning human rights issues of our time. It’s a criminal underworld activity that is happening today right here in Ireland, with hundreds of trafficking victims often living within local communities, hidden in plain sight,” she said.

Over the last year, human rights organisations have expressed concerns that the pandemic has made people more vulnerable to trafficking globally.

Dr Fiona Donson, Senior Lecturer in the School of Law at UCC and Co-Director of the Centre for Criminal Justice and Human Rights, said people trafficking is not a distant problem in a distant land.

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“The exploitation of people through modern day slavery and bonded labour arises here in Ireland. While the recent convictions are very welcome, the fact remains that despite the official identification of 471 trafficking victims since 2013 only two people have been held criminally responsible for trafficking,” she said.

Commissioned as part of Cork Midsummer Festival, ‘The Day-Crossing Farm’ is a live installation is being staged at a secret location in Cork city until 20 June, while an online film of the work will stream online from 17-27 June.

An online panel discussion about the issues will take place with human trafficking experts and project contributors at 7pm today, 17 June.

To attend email tickets@corkmidsummer.com to book your place, referencing 'The Day-Crossing Farm' in the subject heading.