Ms Mary Moynihan:

We are calling for more recognition, visibility and funding for arts-based companies that use creative processes to promote peace building, reconciliation and community relations at grassroots level throughout Northern Ireland, Border counties and on the island of Ireland. Sabina Coyne Higgins has become a patron of Smashing Times theatre company, a mark of support for arts-based work to promote peace building and reconciliation. The support of political leaders can lead the way in recognising and making visible grassroots arts work. We have secured funding from the Erasmus Plus programme in Europe to build on the anti-racism work we have been doing in Northern Ireland. The idea is to work with European partners to adapt what we have learned and to apply it in a Europe-wide context.

It is important systems are put in place to support and enable the learning gained from the peace process in Northern Ireland in order that this learning can be distributed across Europe and in other conflict zones in order that people do not continue to reinvent the wheel. Worthwhile academic papers will have been published on the peace process, but we also need arts-based practical manuals and models of practice which other practitioners can take off a shelf and adapt to their communities. We also need more structures in place to ensure an organisation like Smashing Times theatre company can operate more easily across our two jurisdictions and to ensure we can access accreditation for training that is the same for both jurisdictions.

We thank committee members for listening to our presentation and for affording us the opportunity to address the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. The aim is to use creative processes to build a society based on mutual respect for all people, regardless of background, and where social justice, non-violence and equality exist for all. We will be delighted to answer any questions members may have.