Across the Lines: Event to mark the end of cross-Border project

During the event, there was a showcase of a selection of ‘The Borders Between Us’ film-poems, and a panel discussion chaired by Noírín Clancy, along with a keynote talk by the Dublin-based Dr. Connal Parr, Senior Lecturer, University of Northumbria, on ‘The role of citizens and The Arts in paving the path to peace’.

Initially launching in March, 2018, the Across the Lines programme aimed to address the legacies of conflict by supporting individual skill development and organisational and leadership capacity.

It worked to increase the opportunities for relationship-building and the fostering of new understandings and new connections across community and cultural affiliations along and across the Leitrim/Fermanagh Border.

The programme opened with a performance of ‘Green and Blue’ in Kiltyclogher, by theatre company, Kabosh. It was informed by lived experiences of members of An Garda Síochána and the RUC through The Troubles, written by Lawrence McKeown.

There were one-off performance and discussion events including ‘Fulcrum’ by Dylan Quinn Dance Company over the Kilcoo River; ‘The First Protestant’, by Gerry Farrell, in the Fermanagh Unionist Hall; and a screening of ‘The Quiet Shuffling of Feet’ at the Glens Centre, about the experiences of a first responder, David Bolton, to the Enniskillen and Omagh bombings.

The main elements of the Across the Lines programme, however, have been a series of more intensive, tailored and targeted community engagement programmes, many of which were delivered with partner organisations in north Leitrim including the Manorhamilton Youth Theatre (Junior and Senior), North Leitrim Men’s group, and North Leitrim Women’s Centre.

Programmes sought to bring people together primarily around shared needs and interests such as the Cross Border Youth Drama programmes, resulting in highly-successful youth performances of the ‘SLNCR: An A-Z’, but not in that order; ‘Border Games’, and ‘Musings: Outward Thoughts of a Generation’.

The youth programmes were a significant highlight, offering young people sustained opportunities to travel to each other’s schools and community venues.

Other highlights in the programme included the work undertaken by North Leitrim Men’s Group linking with Men’s Sheds in Belcoo and Enniskillen, including a variety of programmes from trauma-informed storytelling with the American-based writer and community activist, Michael Patrick MacDonald.

A portraiture photography project and a film skills-based programme resulted in the Talking Shed’s film.

Many other creative skills-based programmes, such as the Women’s Creative Skills’ ‘Everyday Heroines, Selfies and Me’, and the creative histories programme, ‘Women’s Peer Enquiry’, and ‘Reflections on the Irish Border’, all supported individual learning and development.

A further highlight was a discussion-based programme with Dr. Connal Parr, exploring the place of diversity and belonging within ‘the cultural imagination’.

There were hosted discussions and meet the author events across the island, in varying cultural locations and spaces, culminating in a meeting with three contemporary women writers from across the island and a trip to Eastside Arts, the arts-based regeneration company on the Newtownards Road in Belfast.

Ruth Gonsalves Moore, coordinator for four years, described the Across the Lines programme as a good example of how “creativity and culture” can be a vehicle for community engagement and peace-building.

She said: “The programme’s critical conversations and creative histories activities promoted inclusive ways of thinking about and representing community.”

It is widely hoped that the experiences, new connections and learning, will be informative to participants, leaders and participating organisations for the years to come.

The Glens Centre wishes to thank all the participants and all of the tutors and creative facilitators for their readiness to get involved.

Brendan Murray, Artistic Director at the centre, said: “I want to acknowledge the continuous financial support of the International Fund for Ireland for making these many worthwhile projects possible, and the time commitment given by the community steering group members, Joel Smith, Assumpta Kelly, Brenda McMullan, Noírín Clancy, Frances Spence, Rev. Richard Beadle and Isobel Cleary, whose guidance had such a positive impact on the level of success on our Across the Lines programme.”