A Journey across Two Decades provides a visual record of the reflections and
discussion about community, diversity and peacebuilding. Pioneered by Holy
Cross, Edenderry Nursery Schools and CRIS (a local educational peacebuilding
organisation), the Buddy Up! system involves not only children, but their
parents, carers and the wider community. Over time and through hard work and
creative endeavour, an incredible appetite to participate in this programme has
been developed.
Frankie has been documenting interface areas and the physical structures of
division for 25 years. The concept and context for his work stems from living 100
yards from one of the more prominent structures in Short Strand. His latest work
aims to add to the debate around the T:buc vision to take the walls down by
2023. www.frankiequinn.com
The DoJ Interface team attended a recent Open Data Camp. The Drawnalism
captures the summary of discussion to the question: Can open data support
uniting divided communities and democracy?
Lesley Cherry was appointed to liaise with Woodvale residents to realise the
designs for the gates and artworks. Through a series of workshops, public
meetings and one-to-one conversations, they decided to base the designs on the
linen history of the area, referencing the mills, mill workers and the machinery
they used.
In November 2016, staff from the School of the Natural and Built Environment
facilitated a live project at interface locations across Belfast for architects and
urban design students from Universitt Stuttgart. The Universitt Stuttgart
students, led by Professor Astrid Ley, Dr Manal El-Shahat and Dan Teodorovici,
were completing their Design in an International Context module. Their brief
involved devising creative interventions in four interface locations in North and
West Belfast with assistance from local urban design and planning students.
During their study visit they met with community representatives from Duncairn
Community Partnership, Peas Park and academics working in this field.
Mary Gill completed a Msc Urban and Rural Design at Queens University Belfast.
With a brief to develop urban design solutions to improve the physical, social and
environmental wellbeing of the area, Marys project focused on the Lanark way
interface area. This street in West Belfast has been severed due by the security
gate, constructed there during the 1960s. Her work proposes developments that
will help to re-stitch this area and make positive use of interface spaces.
The Library sits on the interface of Oldpark Road and Manor Street in North
Belfast. Opened in 1906, the library is one of three in Belfast endowed by the
wealthy Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. He gifted over 500 libraries
across the UK and Ireland in areas where access to education was likely to have
impact. In 2015, the derelict building was bought at auction by social
entrepreneur Quintin Oliver, in partnership with Lower Oldpark Community
Association. Their ambition is to restore the library as a sustainable social
enterprise, as a shared space which will also be used for community
programmes in wellbeing, education, training, arts and social activities.
Selection of books on peace walls and a display of a section of the Berlin Wall
courtesy of Alan Leonard.
Alan Leonard travelled to Germany to visit a friend and discover Berlin in 1989.
Soviet communism was collapsing, and this was his once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to see what it was all about. The climax was a reopening of the
Berlin Wall. As he stood on top of the Wall, watching scenes of jubilation among
many thousands, he knew he was living history. Meanwhile, local entrepreneurs
invested time in diligently removing large pieces of the Berlin Wall -- no mean
feat considering that it is made up of thick concrete and stone. While he chiselled
off a tiny spec myself, the trophy piece was the result of another's patient labour.
This video clip, the result of a partnership project between ICR/QUB, Open
University and Lancaster University examines how divisions between, and
among, communities affect peoples daily lives in the post-conflict city. The area
is defined by a patchwork of predominantly Catholic and Protestant housing
estates, often divided by security barriers. 233 participants downloaded the
Belfast Pathways app and agreed to have their movements recorded for a two-
week period. More than 24.5 million points of data were collected. The data
allowed for the identification of areas of segregation and shared spaces, as well
as routes taken by members of particular communities when accessing services
and facilities.
16. DoJ Removal of interface
The story board captures the Limestone United journey over the past 10 years
from interface conflict between young people from the Tigers Bay, Newington
and New Lodge areas of Lower North Belfast to participating in a cross-
community football team with local PSNI Neighbourhood officers from York
Road. It captures the first team to the present senior and junior teams and the
newly formed Limestone Ladies and how they are empowering young people to
build a better quality of life and develop good relations in their communities.
Townsend Enterprise Park has been established in the current location since
1987 promoting an urban regeneration area by providing training services,
workspace units and promoting social enterprise.
The plans here are those of a vision of what can be put in place to bring about
this change. This will see the creation of an education and interpretation centre
outlining the rich social history and heritage, a peace line caf as well as creating
an opportunity to use the church as a venue for concerts etc. Through this
proposal we will be re-building, re-connecting and re-generating not just within
the street but also within the surrounding communities and with the right
package of funding and the continued commitment of a dedicated team of
volunteers and professionals this vision can be achieved.
David Coyles, Adrian Grant, Brandon Hamber, Greg Lloyd, Donovan Wylie, Ulster
University, Laura Lane, Anne Power, London School of Economics
www.cartographiesofconflict.com
The image shows the Northumberland Street security gate as well as locks and
chains commonly used. Northumberland Street is one of four streets along the
Shankill/Falls interface where pedestrian and vehicle access is limited to certain
times of the day. These gates, from Lanark Way down to Townsend Street are
linked in with a series of high fences, the most iconic of which is the fence
running along Cupar Way.
Since 2012, the International Fund for Ireland's Peace Walls Programme has
focused on helping interface communities to bring about the conditions that can
allow for the removal of peace walls. Through support to six community-based
partnerships working in interface areas, the Fund provides a range of confidence
and relationship building initiatives within and between interface communities.
The aim is to help residents arrive at a position where they feel it is safe and
appropriate to discuss and consider the removal of peace walls in their area. The
exhibits outline the work of each of the six funded groups.
The Department of Justice wish to thank the following people and organisations:
Dr Jonny Byrne
for their assistance in making the exhibition possible and for use of the Belfast
Campus to host the event.
Paul McAtamney