Cross-border arts project explores what peace means to younger generation

A major new cultural project, which has brought together communities from either side of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, will culminate in a live theatrical performance and broadcast this month.

Project Lighthouse will also take the first steps towards a new play, The White Dove, the third part in the acclaimed theatrical peacebuilding trilogy, which began on the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in 2022 with The White Handkerchief and continued in 2023 with Hume: Beyond Belief.

The White Dove will be staged at Hawk’s Well Theatre, Sligo and the Millennium Forum, Derry / Londonderry and broadcast live to a global audience in 2029.

Project Lighthouse began earlier this summer, as two groups of people, one from Derry˜Londonderry, the other from Sligo, aged between 18 and 25, met for the first time at the 18th century manor house, St Columb’s Park House in Derry / Londonderry.

The thirty ‘Cultural Champions’ all lived there, together, for a fortnight and began to explore what ‘peace’ means to a generation born either side of the border, after the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. Led by artists Abby Oliveira and Bob Kelly, participants have shared honest, personal perspectives on the future they want to shape, through conversation, performance and storytelling.

The whole group has now reunited south of the border at the beautiful Bru Moytura ecolodge in Sligo, to continue the creative arts programme for a further two weeks. This second half of the project will build to a finale performance of music, theatre, poetry and spoken word before a live audience at Hawk’s Well Theatre in Sligo and streamed live on the International Day of Peace, Monday, September 21, 2026.

Project Lighthouse will also be the subject of a video documentary, which will be one component of new digital education packs and resources for schools.

Project Lighthouse is a significant theatrical and cultural partnership between Hawk’s Well Theatre, the Millennium Forum in Derry / Londonderry and the John and Pat Hume Foundation. It has been awarded €202,000 in funding, supported by PEACEPLUS which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). The project is funded though the Sligo County Council PEACEPLUS Local Co-designed Action Plan.

Everyone involved has been sharing stories and explored powerful and governing aspects of 21st century life, including conflict and peace, prejudices, physical and personal borders, belonging, community and views of ‘the other side’ of the border.  

The whole group engaged with Northern Ireland’s history, through a range of activities, including visits to both the Free Derry Museum and the Siege Museum. These visits, to unfamiliar, even challenging, places encouraged reflection on how history is remembered and curated.

Project artist, Abby Oliveira, said, “One of the key messages of Project Lighthouse is celebrating difference and recognising that diverse backgrounds, views and experiences have much more to offer our lives than just conflict, or the potential for conflict. After some initial caution, participants have built relationships based on respect, curiosity and openness and we are excited to see how the project will develop as the International Day of Peace approaches.”

Participant, Grace Doherty, from Derry / Londonderry said, “So far, the project has been the perfect balance of hard work and amazing craic. I am really enjoying working with new people and hearing everyone’s different perspectives on the world we are living in and trying new skills, such as writing thanks to Bob and Abby. I am super excited to be going to Sligo!”

Participant, Oleksandra Pidopryhora, from Sligo said, "I joined this project because I felt like this was the place I was meant to be. As a result, I gained invaluable experience, made new friends, and finally felt like I was part of the creative community in Ireland. I felt more fulfilled because, during all the days of rehearsals, we built real human connections and spent a lot of time together, exchanged experiences and created common moments together."

Holding at its heart the question of what peace means to a generation born in peacetime, The White Dove, will complete the highly acclaimed theatrical Peacebuilding Trilogy, which began in 2022 at the Playhouse Derry / Londonderry, when The White Handkerchief was performed and screened on the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday; the trilogy continued the following year with Hume: Beyond Belief, a musical drama tracing John and Pat Hume’s unstinting endeavours towards peace in Northern Ireland.

Kieran Griffiths, Director of Hawk’s Well Theatre and both The White Handkerchief and Hume: Beyond Belief, said, “Our live broadcast on September 21 will be a unique opportunity for schools to experience a live cultural event that brings to life classroom themes of citizenship, history and social understanding. We are aiming to create a peace movement, not just a moment, working with our partners beyond this year to connect young people and communities across cultural differences, providing free, conservatoire-level training and clear pathways into professional practice.

"The final chapterof our peacebuilding trilogy will look towards the future—learning from young people born since the Good Friday Agreement, amplifying their voices and moving together towards a better, more connected and truly shared island.”

Free tickets for schools to attend in person at the Hawk’s Well Theatre on September 21 and for the live broadcast can be booked at https://www.hawkswell.com