Using art to reconcile the PSNI and local youth
Brendon McIlhenny from Strathfoyle, DCC Judith Gillespie and Kevin Canning from Strathfoyle.
A GROUNDBREAKING new project to break down the barriers between the PSNI and local youth has taken place in Londonderry.
Several senoir PSNI delegates, including Deputy Chief Constable Judith Gillespie, local neighbourhood officers, arts representatives and community leaders joined the young people and their families to attend the showcase in The Playhouse.
Thirty-five young people from Londonderry, Limavady, Strabane and Magherafelt were presented with Open College Network (OCN) certificates for their participation in ‘Street Talk,’ a new project by the Playhouse International Arts Network (ICAN) and the PSNI.
Using graffiti, DJing, animation and light box art, the young people used the arts to explore issues such as sectarianism, anti-social behaviour e.g. graffiti, and each community’s relationship with the PSNI.
Artists collaborated with the youth people from Enagh, Strathfoyle, Leckagh Drive Estate in Magherafelt, Bovalley & Roe Valley in Limavady and Strabane in their communities for a month.
This was followed by a one week project bringing the all the young people together to meet and create new works of art and music.
Lightboxes exploring the ritual of bonfires were created, along with a model of their own imagined idyllic city, where social and political issues are eliminated.
Animations that highlight the theme of joyriding and violence were made, as well as a track produced, written, and synthesised by the young people called ‘Falling Through the Stars’.
Several young people achieved OCN accreditation through the project, and were presented with a certificate at the special awards ceremony and exhibition of the work.
ICAN is a three year project which has been part-financed by the European Union’s Regional Development fund through EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (Peace III) managed through Special EU Programmes Body.
For more information about ICAN contact Elaine Forde on (028)71268027 or email Elaine@derryplayhouse.co.uk.
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Thursday 23 May 2013
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