Art in Place of Conflict seeks to explore the power of socially engaged art in conflict / post conflict societies. We will unpick themes such as Truth Recovery, Ethics, Reconciliation, Legacy of Conflict as well as Intergenerational Dialogue.

We will seek to include current issues including a global pandemic which took us all by surprise as well as Black Lives Matter – a flight for equality.

The Theatre and Peacebuilding Academy will kick-start this conversation by showcasing and discussing art produced through the academy with acclaimed artists such as Jo Egan, Conan McIvor and Ailin Conant.

Our keynote address will be given by the internationally acclaimed John Paul Lederach who “is one of our greatest living architects of social transformation” America Ferrera

Internationally acclaimed theatre-makers and artists such as Teya Sepinuck of Theatre of Witness, Hector Aristizabal founder of Imaginaction, photographer and activist Giles Duley and contemporary artist and activist Khaled Barakeh will join us to talk about their work in addressing social change.

We will host talks, presentations, conversations, podcasts, artworks, film and a live screening of a theatre production.

Join us for one or all sessions on 17th September 2020.

Key themes: Arts and social change; Truth Recovery; Ethics; Healing; Reconciliation; Intergenerational Dialogue; Legacy of Conflict; Public Art; Civil Rights; & Displaced Artists.

All conference delegates will be invited to the live performance of our production entitled Anything Can Happen – 1972, Voices from the Heart of The Troubles by Damian Gorman.

This conference will be broadcast live from the Playhouse Theatre across all social channels. Audience members can contribute questions via the conference Facebook Group.

Conference Schedule

10am-10.05am Opening Mike Moriarty (Playhouse Chair) live from theatre

10.10am - 10.15am Fergal Keane

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SESSION 1

10.20am - 10.50am Launch of Declan Keeney's Frictionless (talk & pre-recorded VR screening) Live

Renowned filmmaker Declan Keeney introduces and launches his ground-breaking Virtual Reality film entitled Frictionless which foregrounds stories related to The Troubles and lives / incidents on the Border. The participants were filmed in the “location” of their story, and post-production VR technology recreates the sights and sounds of the story being told.

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11am - 11.30am Launch Joe Campbell Peacemakers (live talk and pre-recorded film)

Critically acclaimed artist Joseph Campbell launches and discusses the creation of his Graphic Novel themed on The Peacemakers” – this work features the stories of key peacemakers – those, that no matter where their starting point, moved towards a more peaceful society in the midst of and after the conflict in Northern Ireland. The finished work will be presented as a high quality hard -copy and digital publication and will be distributed as a key educational resource in the education and community sectors. Joseph will be in conversation with one of those featured in the work: Rev Dr David Latimer.

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SESSION 2

PRESENTATIONS & CONVERSATIONS

Live streamed from Playhouse Theatre

11.45pm - 12.30pm An Artist's Perspective - Art in Action - Creative Dialogue

Four artists commissioned by Theatre & Peacebuilding Academy discuss artistic methods, outcomes, challenges and highlights of their practice and how being part of a community of artists may have influenced their practice. The session includes playwright and director Jo Egan, theatre artist Ailin Conant, writer Pamela Brown and filmmaker Conan McIvor. The conversation will be facilitated by David Grant, Senior Lecturer Queens University Belfast.

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BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS via Zoom

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12.45pm - 1.15pm Questions of Legacy Podcast streaming by Pamela Brown

12.45pm - 1.15pm Forget Me Not film screening by Conan McIvor

12.45pm - 1.15pm ART IN PLACE OF CONFLICT - PUTTING THE PIECES BACK TOGETHER: Using traumatic memories of conflict to make theatre. Workshop by Jo Egan

12.45pm - 1.15pm First Response screening and discussion by Ailin Conant

SESSION 3 - KEYNOTE PRESENTATION & CONVERSATION

2pm-2.45pm Relationships between Unlikely People with reference to Northern Ireland John Paul Lederach

John Paul Lederach in conversation with Gerard Deane

Live from the Playhouse Theatre. Audience members can contribute questions via the conference Facebook Group.

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SESSION 4 - PRESENTATION & CONVERSATION

3pm - 3.45pm The Legacy of Conflict

Internationally acclaimed photographer Giles Duley and Conceptual artist and cultural activist Khaled Barakeh discuss the legacy of Conflict and activism through their own practice. They will be joined by Mary Cremin Void Director, who facilitate conversation with reference to her curatorial practice including the curation of Walkers Plinth commission and the Long Note by Helen Cammock. Includes post presentation Q&A)

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SESSION 5 - PRESENTATION & CONVERSATION

4pm - 5pm Teya Sepinuck - Healing Divides of Difference

Founder of Theatre of Witness Teya Sepinuck explores how her work in Northern Ireland prepared her for the challenges in the USA that resulted in the creation and performance of a piece by people in communities of colour and police. Session includes 15 min Q&A.

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SESSION 6 - PRESENTATION & CONVERSATION

5.15pm - 5.45pm Hector Aristizbal - Art as the Antidote to Conflict, Art as Ritual or the place where Humanity Heals.

Colombian theatre practitioner will share his experience working with RECONECTANDO. The Work that Reconnects, Social Theatre and Healing Rituals serve as a framework for working with ex-combatants of all sides, their victims, community leaders, environmental and human rights activists and others. Literally in the womb of nature these groups of selected people share their true stories through deep listening, have improbable dialogues, experience moments of reconciliation and healing and imagine together a different kind of future for our wounded country

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SESSION 7 - PRESENTATION & CONVERSATION

5.50pm - 6pm Closing words by Anthony Russel

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SESSION 8 - LIVE STREAMED THEATRE PRODUCTION

8pm - 10pm ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN 1972: Voices from the Heart of The Troubles by Damian Gorman and directed by Kieran Griffiths

The statistics for 1972- the worst year of the ‘Troubles'- are astonishing: almost 500 killings (nearly 100 in the month of July alone); 10,000 shootings, 2,000 explosions, and almost 5,000 people physically injured.

But statistics only take you so far, and they don't take you inside the hearts of people who were there. 1972 was an extraordinary year- a year when it felt like anything could happen- but it was a year of lives as well as deaths. And here is an evening of voice, of people-gathered by the poet Damian Gorman- which carries inside stories of both.

10pm - 10.15pm Post show Q&A live from Playhouse Theatre

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