New Derry heritage project explores shared history of Fountain and Bishop Street
Supported by PEACEPLUS, the 'Our Journey to Peace' initiative launches its second phase with a film and exhibition.
A new project being developed by the Gasyard Development Trust in Derry is seeking former and current residents of the Fountain and Bishop Street regions to be interviewed about their memories of living in the areas.
The ‘Our Journey to Peace’ project is being delivered by the Gasyard Development Trust with support from PEACEPLUS.
Project manager Mickey Cooper said that the interviews would form part of a wider exhibition on the history of both areas.
The exhibition will tour communities across the city in the coming year.
The cross-community Our Journey To Peace programme previously trained a large cohort of local residents to become accredited tourist guides, helping to provide opportunities in, and build capacity for, Derry’s growing tourism sector.
Mr Cooper said: “We are delighted to be starting work on this second phase of the project following the successful accreditation of over 20 local residents in tour guiding.
“The next phase will involve the interviewing of 100 residents to record their memories of growing up in the Fountain and Bishop Street areas from their childhood to the present day.
“Excerpts from the interviews will be included in a short film that will form part of a larger exhibition which will cover all aspects of the areas social, political and economic history.
“The exhibition will aim to explain that, despite the complex and difficult history that applied during the conflict period between both areas, the Fountain and Bishop Street also have a much longer shared history which positively impacted on the social and economic development of the wider city.”
The ‘Our Journey to Peace’ is backed by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body and is funded through Derry City & Strabane District Council’s PEACEPLUS Local Co-Designed Action Plan under the ‘Celebrating Cultural Diversity’ Programme.
Anyone interested in being interviewed or who can provide any archive material which can be featured in the exhibition can contact me by telephone on 07743175709 or by email on [email protected]”.