You are invited to the Aftermath exhibition in the Market Theatre, Armagh City on Thursday 19th June. The exhibition is open from 9.30 a.m. and film screenings and a panel discussion will take place at 6.30 p.m. The Aftermath project is funded through the EU Peace III Programme as awarded by the County Louth Peace and Reconciliation Partnership. Admission is free.
In 1969 the largest evacuation of refugees since World War II took place in Ireland as thousands of people fled across the border to escape the unfolding conflict in Northern Ireland. In subsequent years the border counties continued to be heavily impacted; many people were injured or killed in bombings and shootings whilst others were imprisoned or displaced.
In the mid 1990s increasing political and economic stability in Ireland created the conditions for a new demographic shift with the arrival of asylum seekers and refugees from all over the world. These people often experienced the same fears and anxieties as their counterparts from the north. They also encountered similar suspicions and prejudices on arrival in their new home.
Following the Good Friday Agreement and the cessation of overt conflict the issue arose of how to address the legacy of conflict. The Aftermath project (2012-2013) begins this exploration, setting out to explore hidden histories, unresolved antagonisms, and personal hopes and dreams. Filmmaker and Aftermath director Laurence McKeown, commissioned photographic artist Anthony Haughey, and music composer Elaine Agnew worked closely with the participants to produce an exhibition of photography, film, music, and audio, supported by a programme of curated events.
The Aftermath exhibition was launched in September 2013 in the County Museum, Dundalk and then toured to the Gallery of Photography, Dublin, the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre, Newry, and Belfast Exposed Gallery, Belfast. It attracted great praise and excellent reviews and was featured on local and national radio and TV.
There is now an opportunity to see the exhibition for one day only in The Market Place Theatre in Armagh on Thursday 19th June. The exhibition will be open throughout the day for people to come along and view and that evening at 7:00pm in the same venue there will be a screening of 4 short filmed interviews (12 minutes each) followed by a panel discussion.
Mary Toal of the Armagh City and District Good Relations unit said, “We are delighted that the Aftermath exhibition is coming to Armagh. We encourage any opportunities to bring people together to look at how people live, manage, and get on with their lives. The exhibition has been very well received elsewhere and now the people of Armagh will have the opportunity to view it and discuss prompted by it with the panel. As this is a fully funded project we are able to offer it to the people of Armagh free so all it will cost people is their time and hopefully their valuable contribution to the panel discussion.”
Dr. Laurence McKeown, Coordinator of the Aftermath project said, “I’m delighted that the exhibition will be in the Market Theatre, Armagh. It is a wonderful venue which I have visited several times, most recently in 2013 when the Aftermath project featured as part of the John Hewitt Summer School. Now people have an opportunity to view the exhibition and also take part in a discussion around the issue of story-telling and how we deal with the legacy of the past.”
Please note there is no charge to attend but booking is essential for the evening event. To reserve a place for the evening event contact Pat Prunty at Armagh City and District Council Tel. 028 37529600 or email pat.prunty@armagh.gov.uk .
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Biographical information on Dr Laurence McKeown
Laurence McKeown is a writer, film-maker, and playwright though sees those roles within the broader context of political activism, academia, and the role that the arts can play in both. His involvement in creative works, political education, and academia began during his period of incarceration as a political prisoner (1976-1992). Following his release from prison Laurence completed a doctoral thesis at Queen’s University, Belfast which examined the development of Irish republican prisoners’ politics and methods of organisation. His thesis was published in 2001 entitled Out of Time. In the 1990s Laurence also co-wrote a feature film, H3, based on the 1981 hunger strike within the prison which he participated in and during which 10 prisoners died. Laurence then began to work as a playwright, using full-length plays and bespoke theatre to explore issues concerning the legacy of the conflict in the North of Ireland. He is currently Coordinator of the Aftermath project based in Co Louth & Newry/South Armagh which looks at victims/survivors of the conflict and also persons displaced by the conflict in Ireland and internationally.
Biographical information on Anthony Haughey
Anthony Haughey lives and works in Co. Louth and Dublin. He is an artist and a lecturer in the School of Media at the Dublin Institute of Technology. He is an editorial advisor for the photographic journal Photographies (London: Routledge). He was previously Senior Research Fellow at the Interface Centre for Research in Art, Technologies and Design at the University of Ulster http://interface.ulster.ac.uk where he was awarded his PhD in 2009. His work has been exhibited widely internationally and is represented in public and private collections worldwide.
His work has received widespread critical acclaim, ‘Settlement’ (2012) explored the collapse of Ireland’s Celtic Tiger housing boom. ‘Citizen’ explores notions of citizenship, migration, and contested spaces and was shown in Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda. http://www.highlanes.ie/ and then moved across the border to the Millennium Court Arts Centre, Portadown. He was also one of the photographic artists shown in ‘Homelands’, a major British Council touring exhibition in India, where he travelled to in March to give a series of artist talks and workshops. In March he also exhibited in a Gallery of Photography exhibition in the Three Shadows Gallery, Beijing.
Biographical information on Elaine Agnew
In 2012 County Antrim composer Elaine Agnew received a BBC Proms commission and the premiere of Dark Hedges by the Ulster Youth Orchestra, the Ulster Orchestra and Sir James Galway in the Royal Albert Hall was a huge success, one reviewer describing it as “compelling from beginning to end.” Elaine’s many works have been performed and broadcast worldwide by a variety of internationally renowned artists and orchestras. She was appointed as the first RTÉ lyric FM Composer-in-Residence in 2008 and her two commissioned Christmas carols have been recently released on the Lyric FM Choirs for Christmas CD. Her works have featured at major festivals including the Belfast Festival at Queen’s, London BMIC Cutting Edge, Spitalfields and the Slovenian Unicum Festival and in many world-class venues: the Carnegie, JF Kennedy, Wigmore and Royal Albert Halls. The Irish Chamber Orchestra opened their January concert at the prestigious Konzerthaus in Berlin with Strings A-Stray to celebrate the German launch of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Elaine is also a renowned music animateur, much in demand for her innovative and creative work with people of all ages.
SEUPB
- The Special EU Programmes Body is a North/South Implementation Body sponsored by the Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland and the Department of Finance in Ireland. It is responsible for managing two EU structural funds Programmes PEACE III and INTERREG IVA designed to enhance cross-border co-operation, promote reconciliation and create a more peaceful and prosperous society. The programmes operate within a clearly defined area including Northern Ireland, the Border Region of Ireland and in the case of INTERREG IVA, Western Scotland.
- The PEACE III Programme is worth €333 million and is aimed primarily at reinforcing progress towards a peaceful and stable society and promoting reconciliation. It focuses on helping Northern Ireland and the Border Region of Ireland to reconcile communities and contribute towards a shared society.
- For more information on the SEUPB please visit www.seupb.eu
For further information please contact:
For the Aftermath project: Laurence McKeown
Tel: 00353 8584 23656 Email: laurence.mckeown@btinternet.com
Partnership
The AFTERMATH project was delivered by Diversity Challenges (lead partner) in partnership with, The Integration Centre, the County Museum, Dundalk, and the Rural Community Network. The project delivered two programmes which actively engaged with victims/survivors of the conflict in Ireland and their families and those displaced by conflict. The project is funded through the EU PEACE III Programme as awarded by the County Louth Peace and Reconciliation Partnership.