Youth Arts PEACE Building Project

Delivered by Dundalk Youth Centre - DYC

This project began in early 2019 and engaged with 224 young people, aiming to develop young people's awareness of conflict and Peace building through the medium of arts. The project worked closely with community youth organisations to identify key arts projects and undertake study visits to places of interest in Ireland.

Youths from Craobh Rua Community Youth Project in Muirhevnamor took part in digital art workshops. The youths recreated and personalised a piece of art from Banksy which they have called their "Pieces of PEACE". The project also teamed up with three local artists to deliver a series of creative workshops with local schools. Students from St.Josephs, Gaelscoil Dhún Dealgan, C.B.S Primary, Castletown Girls School and the redeemer participated to create a huge collaborative artwork project.

Works were displayed in the Marshes Shopping centre from July - August 2019 and in October a Youth Arts Peace Programme art exhibition was held to showcase and celebrate the fantastic peace murals created by the young people of Craobh Rua. In October 2021 the works were moved to the County Museum for the final exhibition on culture night.

In February 2020 the project brought the Toberona boys group on a study visit to Belfast. The tour gave them the opportunity to visit both nationalist/republican areas and unionist/loyalist areas, encouraging the young people to see the British/Irish conflict from several perspectives, learning about everyday life in both communities.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, an online closing event for this project was held in November 2021. The event highlighted the work of the project in developing creative arts projects and building Peace in County Louth.