Join funders, artists, arts managers, community support professionals, academic researchers and the public to explore the role and potential of Art for Reconciliation.

The discussion will be followed by an hour-long showcase exploring innovative ways in which the arts are contributing to peace-building in Northern Ireland, including:

Paula Carson, James Doran, Vincent Higgins and Simon Sweeney performing extracts from Green and Blue by Laurence McKeown and A Queer Ceili at the Marty Forsythe by Dominic Montague. Produced by Kabosh Theatre, directed by Paula McFetridge

Film examples from work created by The Playhouse Theatre and Peacebuilding Academy

Live music from Columbian children’s welfare activist Genesis Quintero Perez, in Belfast at the invitation of Beyond Skin

Invitation photo credit: Chad Alexander, www.chadalexander.info

About the Exchange Forum

The first of three public Exchange Forums, hosted by University of Liverpool, Queen's University Belfast and University of Ulster as part of a 3-year research project, examining how - and if - Art for Reconciliation produces theatre, visual art, dance, film and music that reflects, represents, or responds to experiences of political conflict and delivers reconciliatory outcomes.

Our research is driven by principles of collaboration. We wish to engage with all voices that are related to Art for Reconciliation (AfR), to:

Share the intentions of our research
Discuss findings from our first phase of research, focusing on what we learnt about the funding of AfR work in NI
Hear about how we have located and researched funding data and how we have conceptualised AfR
Respond to those findings, help co-produce future research and bring relevant voices to the conversation and debates that concern AfR
Help develop networks that support future practice
Hear about and feed into our plans for the next phase of the research
Hear about our interactive website and our future plans
Observe and engage with an arts showcase

Booking essential. Tickets free.

Schedule of Activities

1.30 Registration

2pm What are our intentions for researching Art for Reconciliation?

Presented by Pete Shirlow, AfR Principal Investigator

2:15 Data, Practitioners Perspectives and Concepts

Presented by Peter Campbell and Sarah Jankowitz (AfR co-Investigators)

3.15 Co-producing Research: A roundtable discussion with audience Q&A

Tori Durrer (AfR co-investigator) with Eamonn Baker, Ali Fitzgibbon, Paula McFetridge and Hugh Odling-Smee (AfR Research Advisory Committee members)

4.30 Introducing the AfR Project website

Presented by AfR web designer Simon Hagan

5pm Buffet

6pm Showcase

7pm Wine reception