Event Details
Workshop facilitator Deborah Stockdale with the finished collective banner; the outcome of workshops with six groups responding to the theme of Refugee week 2021 "We cannot walk alone". (Photo: Bebhinn McKinley) |
| Workshops (online): | WE CANNOT WALK ALONE – Refugee week 2021 |
| Description: | This online workshop programme is commissioned by Causeway Coast and Glen's Borough Council’s Good Relations Programme (CCGBC). It is supported by the Executive Office - Together: Building a United Community Strategy, District Council Good Relations Programme.
It draws on the theme of UK Refugee week, (14 -20th June) “We Cannot Walk Alone” and World Refugee Day, (20th June) “Every Action Counts”. It builds on previous collaboration with CCGBC Good Relations Programme through the exhibition programme Conflict, Peace: Our journey, our future (September 2020).
Through a series of online workshops, participants will create arpillera dolls responding to the theme “We Cannot Walk Alone”. Specifically this invites us all to extend our hand to someone new, someone outside our current circle, who has had an experience we haven’t, or is fighting for a cause we aren’t yet involved in. The finished dolls will form a collective banner which will journey to the participating groups during refugee week.
Core elements of this online programme:
1)Conflict Textiles curator, Roberta Bacic and Conflict Textiles Fabric Artist Deborah Stockdale will facilitate one session with facilitators of groups and staff, explaining the concept of arpilleras, workshop process and anticipated outcomes (Wednesday 5th May).
2)Deborah Stockdale, with support from Roberta Bacic, will facilitate a workshop with six separate groups over two weeks (20th May - 3rd June). To assist participants in the process of making arpillera dolls Conflict Textiles will provide a box of scrap materials for each group.
3)Deborah and Roberta will stitch the final collection of finished dolls onto a backing and complete the banner.
This collective banner was on display at Flowerfield Arts Centre, Portstewart, July - August 2021. Together with outcomes from other local and transnational initiatives, it will contribute to the PLATFORMA 6 festival, to be held in Yorkshire, (October 2021), hosted by the UK based Counterpoints Arts.
1) Local initiatives: Every Action Counts – Making arpillera dolls workshop hosted by Letterkenny Amnesty group, Donegal, Republic of Ireland, 19th June 2021.
2) Transnational initiatives
-Argentina (Ana Zlatkes) Caminemos juntos (let us walk together) In Spanish.
-Germany (Johanna Menzinger) Gemeinsam mutig!/brave together In German.
-Catalonia (Fundació Ateneu Sant Roc): Caminem junts (In Catalan); Caminemos juntos (In Spanish); Let us walk together (In English)
-On World Refugee Day, Fundació Ateneu Sant Roc members also hosted a public demonstration, at which they displayed the arpillera Caminemos juntos / Let us walk together.
3)This 6 minute film was produced by ARK for Refugee week Refugee and Asylum seekers in Northern Ireland: Public attitude data from Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey illustrated through Conflict Textiles.
We cannot walk alone – Refugee week 2021 outcome banner, Caminemos juntos / Let us walk together and two banners made by young people using cardboard doll silhouettes were on display in the Museum Exhibition space of Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre, 26th August - 26th September to mark Good Relations Week 2021. This year’s theme was ‘Brighter Days Ahead’. |
| Commissioned by: | Good Relations Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council |
| Date(s): | 5th May 2021 - 21st June 2021 |
| Venue: | Online
Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council, Cloonavin, 66 Portstewart Road, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, BT52 1EY |
| Curator: | Roberta Bacic and Breege Doherty |
| Facilitator: | Bebhinn McKinley, Good Relations Office |
| Outcome: | This initiative was extremely successful. Such was the interest that six participant workshops were facilitated instead of the planned three. A total of 150 participants engaged in the programme instead of the anticipated 50 and the workshops with children were well received. Comments from participants in various groups echo this.
“This event was well planned and communicated to our group through each step of the process. Resources were provided and explanations from the event organiser and artist were informative, encouraging and personable….The best part was how some people told who their dolls represented and why - this enabled our group to share our personal stories, connect with each other on a personal level and empathise with those who mentioned difficult situations, like missing family members who are far away, or even those who have passed away….good that a piece of art was created to welcome new arrivals in our community.” |
| Documents: |
• Making an arpillera doll from tights -English - view
• Making an arpillera doll from tights -Arabic - view
• Making an arpillera doll from felt - English - view
• Making an arpillera doll from felt - Arabic - view
• Workshop invitation: Refugee week 2021 - view
• Caminemos Juntos, A. Zlatkes, Argentina - view
• Gemeinsam mutig!/brave together, Germany - view
• Press release: Refugee week 2021 - view
• Caminem Junts (in Catalan), Catalonia - view
• CAMINEMOS JUNTOS (in Spanish), Catalonia - view
• CAMINEMOS JUNTOS (in English), Catalonia - view
• Photo gallery: CCGBC Good Relations workshops - view
• Print media coverage, 24th June - view
• Press release: Good Relations week 2021 - view
• Poster: 'Brighter Days Ahead', RVACC, Aug '21 - view
• Photo gallery: Brighter Days Ahead,RVACC, '21 - view
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