'Project Lighthouse' unites Derry and Sligo youth for major cultural showcase

Project Lighthouse, a major new cultural project, bringing 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 act as a Research and Development phase for 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 and broadcast live to a global audience in 2029.

Project Lighthouse began earlier this summer, as two groups of people, one from Derry, 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 the city.

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.

Free tickets for schools to attend in person at the Hawk’s Well Theatre and for the live broadcast can be booked here.

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 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.

Through a shared programme of workshops at the Millennium Forum, everyone involved shared 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.

Through physical theatre, improvisation and collaborative exercises, participants developed trust and the skills needed to generate artistic material collectively.

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.”

Project artist, Bob Kelly, said, “We have been surprised throughout by the concerns and preoccupations of the young people who are shaping Project Lighthouse.

“From the outset, we were intrigued to see whether the Troubles has cropped up as a modern-day concern for our participants and how each group considers ‘the other side’ of the border. The real concerns which clearly weigh people down today include healthcare, housing, education and the cost of living.

“In these and other areas, the people at the heart of Project Lighthouse certainly feel that the onus is on them to ‘fix’ something that they did not create.”

Participant, Grace Doherty, from Derry, 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.

“After the Derry exchange, I don’t feel like going back to scrolling through social networks at all, I’d rather call someone from the team and invite them for a cup of coffee."

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, 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 work emerging from the project will complete a peacebuilding trilogy that began by looking deeply into the conflict and the wounds it left behind. Its final chapter 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.”

David McLaughlin, Chief Executive, Millennium Forum, said, “Project Lighthouse is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when arts organisations and partners from North and South come together with a shared ambition.

“For the Millennium Forum, this partnership is about much more than delivering one project; it is about building lasting relationships across the island, creating opportunities for young people to connect, be creative and have their voices heard.

“We’re proud to be part of Project Lighthouse and excited about where this partnership can lead in the years ahead, as we work together towards The White Dove in 2029.

“It demonstrates how collaboration across the island can strengthen the arts, create meaningful opportunities for the next generation and showcase the creativity and stories of this region on an international stage.”