Derry women tell of life living next to an interface

A new video documents the experiences of Derry women living with interfaces and the impact it has had on their lives.

The Bogside and Brandywell Initiative (BBI), a Peace Barriers Programme funded by the International Fund for Ireland (IFI), launched the video, entitled ‘Women, Words and Walls,’ at an event in the Gasyard Centre with participants, partners and statutory agencies coming together to hear first-hand  experi- ences from across the community.

The video, which was produced by Jason Dunne, includes contributions from women across the Bogside, Brandywell, Creggan, Fountain and Bishop Street areas talking about their experiences growing up beside interfaces and how it shaped their outlook and perceptions.

As the only community-led initiative currently focused on inter-community relationship building and tackling barriers to peace within the Fountain/Bishop Street area, the video is a culmination of work carried out by Bogside and Brandywell Initiative (BBI) which included enabling stronger relationships with residents from both communities.

Donna McCloskey, manager at Bogside and Brandywell Initiative (BBI), said many of the women who contributed to the video had never done anything like it before.

The Bishop Street-Fountain Street interface.

She added: “It was completely out of their comfort zone to not only talk about their experience living close to interfaces but to talk about it in such an open and public way.

“This shows how far they have come as a group; their confidence has grown, and they are willing to discuss their experiences to allow for a deeper understanding of the impact it has had and continues to have. It has also provided them with a platform to highlight what the community needs in way of support for any future barrier removals whilst gaining an understanding of the impact the barriers have had on communities close to them.”