Jess Bates
LightNews LightNews
banner
jessicabates.bsky.social
Jess Bates
@jessicabates.bsky.social
900 followers 1.3K following 150 posts
Research on education, libraries & information. Course Director, Library & Information Mgmt at Ulster (online course). Rathlin Island resident. Coastguard volunteer. Wife and mum.
Posts Replies Media Videos
jessicabates.bsky.social
Great to see colleagues Beverley McCormick & Dr Adrian Boyd @ulsteruni.bsky.social bring their STEM lego workshops to #Rathlin today to work with the School and run an intergenerational session with the island’s seniors group & primary pupils as part of the #ESRC Festival. #LearningWithLego
A photo showing Beverley McCormick and Adrian Boyd outside St Mary’s Primary School, Rathlin Island. Beverley and Adrian are standing either side of the school logo.
October 21, 2025 at 12:44 PM
jessicabates.bsky.social
#JerusalemCafeDerry 🇵🇸
Pastry topped with pistachio and rose petals on a white plate with a small bottle of rose syrup
October 19, 2025 at 10:19 AM
jessicabates.bsky.social
Sunlight on the sea today #Rathlin #SeaSwim
Sunny ripples on the sea with the sand beneath Sunny ripples on the sea with the sand beneath. Cool patterns of sand and ripples.
October 12, 2025 at 3:22 PM
jessicabates.bsky.social
A lovely sunny Sunday swim (& also trying to help a frozen shoulder by freezing it some more) 🥶☀️🌊 #Rathlin
A photograph of our two shadows as we come out of the sea from a swim, with sunny ripples on the shore and the beach #SonAndMother
September 28, 2025 at 3:21 PM
jessicabates.bsky.social
Well done Nina, Meabh, all the young people and everyone involved in bringing the Imaginarium exhibition to W5! Superb work #SustainableFutures #YoungPeople #Education #Rathlin @futureislandisland.bsky.social
Welcome to the Imaginarium text on a big screen. An immersive suite with the screens on two sides visible. Imagery of Rathlin in the background and colourful icons the visitor can touch to hear some of the stories from the project. A pop up displays with more information about the Imaginarium project working with young people. A view into the immersive suite showing imagery from the project.
September 16, 2025 at 1:53 PM
jessicabates.bsky.social
A stunning double rainbow on #Rathlin this morning before we head to W5 for the Imaginarium exhibition celebrating a partnership between @futureislandisland.bsky.social with The Big Idea and EA Youth Services to capture young people’s ideas for a more sustainable future.
Rathlin shore and harbour in the foreground with a double rainbow arching across the image and a cloudy sky in the background.
September 16, 2025 at 7:40 AM
jessicabates.bsky.social
Was great to see the UK APA Conference in Belfast last week. Here’s our panel on Community Conversations and how they can bridge community and policy in a range of sensitive areas #CommunityConversations #Education #Policy @ulsteruni-edi.bsky.social
Photograph of 6 panel members who were speaking about Community Conversations with Ulster University pop up displays in the background.
September 16, 2025 at 7:33 AM
jessicabates.bsky.social
Getting a community update this evening on the #Rathlin LIFE Raft eradication project
Title slide showing an aerial photograph of Rathlin Island with the presentation title text, The LIFE Raft Project Autumn-Winter 2025/2026 Update
September 3, 2025 at 5:39 PM
jessicabates.bsky.social
It’s #RathlinRun day. Good luck Brian Morgan @futureislandisland.bsky.social
Brian Morgan heading to the start line of the Rathlin 10 mile run. Brian Morgan & Jessica Bates at the Rathlin Run 2025. Brian preparing to run & myself on coastguard duty.
August 23, 2025 at 12:00 PM
jessicabates.bsky.social
Speaking at the start of the #RathlinLifeRAFT & @futureislandisland.bsky.social ‘Making it on Rathlin’ residential and series of workshops. #OralHistories #IslandStories #Design #WorkingWithWool #Sustainability #GreenTransition
Photograph taken at event showing a popup banner with the words Rathlin Wool, a display screen showing the title slide ‘Oral histories of wool, needlework and sustainability on Rathlin Island’, and speaker (me, Dr Jessica Bates) speaking to the workshop participants (not in view).
August 7, 2025 at 11:45 AM
jessicabates.bsky.social
Work meetings in Ballycastle today @futureislandisland.bsky.social Here’s Fairhead from the #Rathlin ferry
Blue sky, some clouds, Fairhead and the sea with sunlight on the sea
July 2, 2025 at 8:04 AM
jessicabates.bsky.social
A very successful PhD day on #Rathlin. Doctoral researchers from @ulsteruni.bsky.social travelled over today for a writing retreat & also gave short talks at an open public event. This was a great opportunity both for the PhD researchers and for the island residents & visitors who attended.
Lisa Thompson and myself with some of the doctoral researchers on Rathlin today. Group photograph taken at the harbour. Group of some of the docotoral researchers on Rathlin today. Photograph taken with the Kintra ferry and harbour in background. Photograph of some of the participants and attendees at the PhD researchers presentations today.
June 20, 2025 at 4:37 PM
jessicabates.bsky.social
Our @ulsteruni.bsky.social Doctoral Students arriving on #RathlinIsland for a day’s writing retreat and presentations #UURathlinResearchForum #UUDoctoralCollege
Kintra ferry arriving on Rathlin Island with sunlight on the sea
June 20, 2025 at 8:08 AM
jessicabates.bsky.social
Bringing together folk from @ulsteruni.bsky.social and #RathlinIsland today to discuss research and how we can work together on shared priorities #PeoplePlacePartnership #UURathlinResearchForum
A photograph showing some of the UU staff and Rathlin Community Development worker with displays about some examples of Rathlin research. Some of the group on a walk to look at features of the Rathlin landscape. Photograph features 4 staff in conversation on a narrow road. UU staff member Phil Ramsey in conversation with Rathlin Community Development Worker David Quinney Mee. A group photograph showing some of the UU staff and Chair of the Rathlin Development and Community Association with the harbour area in the background.
June 19, 2025 at 3:48 PM
jessicabates.bsky.social
Next up today we have @ulsteruni.bsky.social staff from across the University today on #Rathlin for a #RathlinResearch day. #PeoplePlacePartnership #WorkingWithRathlin #IslandResearch lovely day for it
Photo of the Rathlin Spirit of Rathlin ferry arriving at Rathlin Island
June 19, 2025 at 9:44 AM
jessicabates.bsky.social
First up today we have Power NI on #Rathlin today filming a video as we received the funding from their Brighter Communities fund to publish the Rathlin School Memories oral history booklet.
Photograph of the Rathlin School Days Memories and Stories booklet. Front cover has a painting of a man cycling up towards the school.
June 19, 2025 at 8:34 AM
jessicabates.bsky.social
A little time spent picking up beach litter with my son this afternoon, a lot of it is fishing twine #BeachClean #GhostFishingGear #WorldOceanDay #Take3ForTheSea #2MinuteBeachClean #BeatPlasticPollution #CleanSeas #CleanCoasts #ProtectMarineLife #Rathlin #Sustainability
A black plastic bag containing beach litter with two pairs of litter pickers to the side.
June 8, 2025 at 4:55 PM
jessicabates.bsky.social
On the Rathlin ferry with Dr Patrick Dunlop, who was on Rathlin with the @futureislandisland.bsky.social project today. Next stop for us both is the UUSU Learning & Teaching Awards in Derry this eve @ulsteruni-edi.bsky.social And there are island musicians on the ferry playing for the passengers!
Myself & Patrick on the upper deck of the ferry with the pier and island in the background. Musician Michael Black playing the banjo. Four musicians playing whistle, fiddle, banjo & flute on the outside deck of the ferry with appreciative passengers looking on.
May 30, 2025 at 2:24 PM
jessicabates.bsky.social
All aboard the #Rathlin ferry. @ulsteruni.bsky.social @futureislandisland.bsky.social colleagues over today running events at the Rathlin Sound Festival - working and creating with Rathlin wool and deconstructing a washing machine for repurposing #circulatity #sustainability
A stunning hand knit tabard made with the wool from Rathlin sheep for a display & talk on the island today. Dr Patrick Dunlop & Dr Jeremy Hamilton beside a washing machine that has been taken apart for reuse. Photo taken on the grassy seafront with the harbour in the background. Dr Anna Duffy & Prof Alison Gault and myself on the Rathlin ferry
May 30, 2025 at 2:17 PM
jessicabates.bsky.social
Caught up with @ulsteruni.bsky.social colleagues Prof Maxim Fomin, @briandcoyle.bsky.social & team today on #Rathlin to learn about their Maritime Trail app which includes AR vernacular boats of the n coast & associated stories/traditions. Great project & collab with Nat Museums NI. #RSF25
Prof Maxim Fomin seated to the right of a pop up display about the project. The title on the pop up reads: Maritime Trail and Improving International Tourist and Local Visitor Experience along the Coast of Ireland. Project team members seated in front of a display board from the project about mermaid stories, with the app also on display. A close up of the app being demonstrated with an AR currach on display in the room. Group photo of UU colleagues in the Manor House.
May 29, 2025 at 12:44 PM
jessicabates.bsky.social
All set up for 2pm Rathlin Oral History talk about Rathlin School Days. #OralHistories #SchoolStories #Rathlin #200yrs #StMarysPrimarySchool #RSF25
Title slide showing the cover of 3 Rathlin Oral History booklets which the Rathlin Oral History Group will chat about in today’s talk.
May 27, 2025 at 12:42 PM
jessicabates.bsky.social
These ones were by the school children. All part of this year’s Rathlin Sound Festival.
A colourful mermaid with hair made from shells and colourful tissue paper collage tail. A series of fish wrapped in colourful wool and pom pom pebbles mounted on a canvas. It is hanging on the perspex wall of the Rathlin bus shelter with the harbour in the background.
May 27, 2025 at 6:53 AM
jessicabates.bsky.social
Here’s some of Rathlin’s ‘yarn art’, a super collaboration of many on (& off) the island, including the school children.
White cloth with many small crocheted and knitted flowers on it. In the centre the word Rathlin is stitched in. A fence with crocheted and knitted flowers and a butterfly. A fine mesh with a colourful display of knitted and crocheted flowers and leaves with St Thomas’s Church in the background. A fine mesh with a colourful display of knitted and crocheted flowers and leaves with the graveyard of St Thomas’s Church in the background.
May 27, 2025 at 6:48 AM
jessicabates.bsky.social
As part of the Rathlin Sound Festival tomorrow myself and other members of the Rathlin Island Oral History Group will be giving a talk about our oral history projects, focusing particularly on the recent booklet celebrating 200years of St Mary’s Primary School on Rathlin. Branson Centre, 2pm. #RSF25
Front cover of a booklet titled: Rathlin School Days Memories and Stories. At the bottom of the front cover the text reads: Collected by the Rathlin Oral History Group for the bi-centenary of St Mary’s Primary School, Rathlin Island. The cover image is of a painting of a man on a bicycle cycling up the hill towards the small island school which is on the right.
May 26, 2025 at 8:24 PM
jessicabates.bsky.social
With a long work day it was lovely to get out to the lunchtime session of ‘Tall Tales and Thin Pipes’ by Cormac “Buzz” Ó Briaín & Aodán “Jaff” Mac Séafraidh. Gorgeous tunes and magical stories. All part of the Rathlin Sound Festival. #RSF25 #UileannPipes #Storytelling
The two pipers playing in front of a screen in St Thomas’s Church, Rathlin island. The two musicians/storytellers playing in front of a screen in St Thomas’s Church, Rathlin island. One on tin whistle, other on pipes.
May 26, 2025 at 5:32 PM