Ms Mary Moynihan:

In the past two years we have created two original performances, "Thou Shalt Not Kill" and "Uprising". "Thou Shalt Not Kill", by Paul Kennedy, is presented in the form of living theatre installations. Stories are gathered from local communities whom we work with and are presented to the communities in the form of dramatic performances. This is always followed by a post-show discussion on the themes presented. Current stories in these performances centre on the journey of a paramilitary from violent action to engagement in peace, a story about a couple involved in a cross-community relationship and the story of an ex-member of the Greenfinches.

Our second play, "Uprising", is scripted by Tara McKevitt and devised by the company. It explores the Troubles through the eyes of the rap or hip-hop generation. It juxtaposes stories from the past with contemporary music and the lives of young people today. "Uprising" engages the audience not only in an examination of the past but in a quest for a vision for the future as well. Our company creates living theatre. These original performances are a combination of fiction and real stories; true fiction, in that the work is fiction yet based on fact. Everything expressed on stage has actually happened. Teachers and youth workers have pointed out to us that sometimes they work with vulnerable young men and women who may be at risk of being recruited into violent activity. Watching performances and then taking part in the discussion offers a valuable forum through which alternative messages can be given. A young person interviewed following a performance said his parents believed they were raising him in a secular non-political environment but the messages seeped through and that the performance and post-show discussion had given him a broader understanding of the issues involved. A young person in Donegal said that she knew about the history but that no one ever talked to them about this stuff and that they needed to have these conversations.