Book now forcity ‘cultural’initiatives

In 2013 a large number of local Primary Schools benefitted from free workshops under the ‘Culture Quarter’ initiative run by Derry City Council’s Community Relations team.

The Community Relations Team is delighted to announce that due to the success of the initiative it will be kept going for the next 1-3 years.

The first round of workshops for 2014 are running from 2nd – 20th June to tie in with Community Relations Week. All workshops are related to understanding diverse identities locally to promote reconciliation and awareness.

All workshops are related to understanding diverse identities locally to promote reconciliation and awareness.

Schools based in the Derry City Council area can choose up to 4 workshops from ‘Different Drums’ – Interactive drumming workshop (Suitable P5 – Year 10. 30 pupils max); ‘Story of Derry~Londonderry’– Tower Museum tour/workshop (Suitable P4- Year 10. 60 pupils max); ‘Ubuntu’ Workshop – Global identity/culture locally workshop (Suitable P3 – Year 8. 30 pupils max) and ‘Marching Bands’ – Workshop and Music on bands culture (Suitable P7 – Year 11. 30 pupils max)

Mayor of Londonderry Martin Reilly said that these workshops proved extremely worthwhile last year for all communities.

“The workshops can once again be provided on a long term basis, free of charge due to the success of the delivery of the existing programme and the uptake of each workshop which secured additional funding.

“This is a positive step in encouraging interaction of our Primary School children to engage in the cultural traditions of others, that they may not otherwise have an opportunity to do so.”

“We’re delighted to have secured the funding to keep this great scheme going as a legacy of the 2013 year,” explained Sue Divin, Community Relations Officer.

“Due to the success of last year we’re repeating the Different Drums workshops by local drummer Richard Campbell, and also the free opportunity to take schools groups to the Tower Museum to do the ‘Story of Derry’ tour and ‘Plantation’ workshops.

“New this year we have ‘Ubuntu’ global workshops linked to our Ubuntu festival running as part of the Clipper festivities.

“‘Ubuntu’ is a South African word meaning that all our identities and humanity are inter-linked and should be respected. Those workshops will cover global identities here locally and will also have a flavour of the Phillipines, India, Spain, Japan or Latin America brought to them by locally resident facilitators with different identities,” she added.

Specific workshop dates/times will be allocated on a ‘first come first served’ basis and may be heavily oversubscribed.

To book or check availability of workshops on particular dates and times contact Helena Kearney [email protected] tel: 02871365151 ext 8223

Deadline for booking workshops is Monday (May 26) 2014 but book now to avoid disappointment!

‘Culture Quarter’ is an initiative under Derry City Council’s Good Relations Strategy with funding support from the Community Relations Unit (OFMDFM).