women's vision in transition - ulster university · photobook, 'women's vision in...
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ISBN:
Women'sVisioninTransition
Women'sV
isionin
Tran
sition
Thisprojecthasbeenfundedbytheaboveorganisations.
Thanksandacknowledgements
WewouldliketothankTEO(GreaterNorthBelfastGoodRelationsFund),theCommunityRelationsCouncilandUlsterUniversityformakingthisprojectpossible.
Inparticular,wewouldliketothankEileenWeir(GreaterNorthBelfastWomen’sNetworkandShankillWomen’sCentre)andDrJoleneMairsDyer(UlsterUniversity)whospearheadedthisprojectandwhosesupportandencouragementhasbeeninvaluablethroughout.
WearegratefultoRobertPorterintheCentreforMediaResearchatUlsterUniversityforsupportingthisproject.
WearedeeplygratefultoKarenReid,FacultyImpactOfficeratUlsterUniversityforhersupportinmakingthisthisphotobook.
WeareindebtedtoPatriciaFlemingatWomen’sTec,whoin2014allowedustousetheirfacilitiestomeetinasafe,neutral,women-centredspace.
WewouldliketothankDuncairnCommunityCentreinTigersBayandStarNeighbourhoodCentreinNewLodgewhoalsoallowedustoholdmeetingsontheirpremisesin2014.
Finally,thisprojectwouldnothavehappenedwithoutthewomenwhomadeispossible:LeanneBest,CatrinaCampbell,HeatherFerris,GenaMcIlwane,SuzanneMcMinn,MargaretValente,LindaWrightandthegroupfromNewLodgewhoattendedourplanningmeetingin2014.
CopyrightofthisphotobookissharedbetweenShankillWomen'sCentre,LowerNorthBelfastWomen'sGroup,StarNeighbourhoodCentreandthe
CentreforMediaResearch,UlsterUniversity.
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystemortransmittedinanyformwithouttheprior
permissionofShankillWomen'sCentre,LowerNorthBelfastWomen'sGroup,StarNeighbourhoodCentreandtheCentreforMediaResearch,
UlsterUniversity.
Women'sVisioninTransition
-are-visualisationoftheTigersBayandNewLodgeareasofNorthBelfastbywomenwholivethere
Context
TheconflictinNorthernIreland,alsoknownas'TheTroubles',referstoa30-yearperiodofviolencefrom1968-1998betweenBritishsecurityforcesand
loyalistandrepublicanparamilitariesovertheconstitutionalstatusofthesixcountyregionthatresultedinthedeathsofalmost3700people.TheGood
FridayAgreement,alsoknownastheBelfastAgreement,signedinBelfastonGoodFriday,10thApril1998,wasviewedasamajorstepforwardinthe
NorthernIrishpeaceprocesswhenconsensuswasreachedbetweentheBritishandIrishgovernmentsandloyalistandrepublicanparamilitariesconcerningits
systemofgovernanceandrelationshipwithBritainandtheRepublicofIreland(Dawson,2007).Theagreementputinplacethedevolvedpower-sharing
assemblythatnowsitsatStormontinBelfast.ItrecognisestherightofNorthernIrishcitizenstoholdeitherBritish,Irishordualnationalidentityand
movedtowardsdemilitarisationanddemocraticprinciples,whereanychangetoitsconstitutionalstatusasapartoftheUnitedKingdomshouldbedecided
bythemajorityofthepopulationsinbothNorthernIrelandandtheRepublicofIreland.
NorthernIrelandcontinuestobeperceivedasaregionwithtwodominantidentitygroupsframedasProtestant-Unionist-LoyalistandCatholic-Nationalist-
Republican.Despitebeingmorethan20yearsposttheGoodFridayAgreement,manycommunities,particularlyinNorthBelfast,continuetolivein
segregatedareasofthecitywithsomepopulationsbeingalmostexclusivelyCatholicorProtestant.Itisthesecommunitiesthatexperiencedthehighestlevels
ofviolenceduringtheTroublesandcontinuetoexperiencethehighestlevelsofdeprivation(Fayetal,1999,NISRA,2017).Theseregionsofthecityare
ofteninverycloseproximitytooneanother,withsometimesonlyasinglestreetdemarcatingwhereoneareabeginsandanotherends.TigersBayandNew
Lodgeisonesuch'interface'areaofNorthBelfast.Onlytwomilesoutsideofthecitycentre,TigersBayisapredominantlyProtestantareacoveringabout
twosquaremilesthathasapopulationofapproximately2000people.NewLodgeisapredominantlyCatholicareacoveringaroundsixsquaremileswitha
populationofapproximately7000people.DuncairnGardensisamainroadwithlocalshops,businessesandservicesusedbybothcommunitiesthatruns
betweenbothareas.Gatedentries,or'peacewalls'runalongeithersideofDuncairnGardensprovidingaccessforlocalresidentswhilstatthesametime
maintainingaphysicalbarrierbetweeneachcommunity.Thegatedentriesaretimed;openingat7amandclosingat5.30pm.Asurveillancecameracontrolled
bylocalpolicemonitorstheremoteoperationofasecuritygate.OntheNewLodgeside,localbusinessholdersandresidentsactaskeyholdersandare
responsibleforlockingandunlockingtheentries.
Inlate2014,agroupofwomenwholiveinTigersBayandNewLodgecametogethertooffervisualrepresentationsoftheirlocalitiesasameansof
highlightingissuesaffectinginterfaceareasofthepost-conflictcity.AkeycritiqueoftheNorthernIrelandpeaceprocessagendahasbeentheexclusionof
womeninitsformationandimplementation(Ward,2013).Whilstthisphotobookhasbeencreatedinapost-conflictcontextandhighlightswomen's
experienceswithintheirownlocality,itsprimaryfocusisencouragingwomentobecomeproactiveagentsinaddressingthelegacyoftheTroubles,thereby
promotingtheinclusionoftheirvisioninthepoliticalpublicsphere.Itbeganwithachancemeetingataconferenceonwomen'scontributiontothepeace
processinNorthernIrelandbetweenEileenWeir(fundedbyTEOGreaterNorthBelfastGoodRelationsandtheCommunityRelationsCouncil)ofShankill
Women'sCentreandDrJoleneMairsDyer,apractice-ledresearcheratUlsterUniversity.Eileenisacommunityworkerwhoaimstoincreasethepolitical
engagementofwomenlivinginGreaterNorthBelfast.Jolene'sprimaryinterestisusingcreativevisualpracticeasatooltopromotepeace-buildingandasa
toolinrepresentingmarginalisedcommunities.EileensuggestedworkingwithLowerNorthBelfastWomen'sGroupinTigersBayandStarNeighbourhood
CentreinNewLodge.Severalmeetingslater,Women'sVisionfromAcrosstheBarricades(thetitlechosenbythewomenthemselves)began.Thephotobook
wasofficiallylaunchedbyDawnPurvisatDuncarinCentreforCultureandArtsinOctober2015.ItisnowheldintheLinenHallLibraryinBelfastandin
theTateBritain'sLibraryandArchivesinLondonaspartoftheirprestigiousMartinParrphotobookcollection.
InOctober2020,thegroupmetoncemoretoreviewprogresssincewepublished'Women'sVisionfromAcrosstheBarricades'in2015.This
photobook,'Women'sVisioninTransition,'demonstrateswhatispossiblewhenwomenworktogethertoaddresssocio-economicissuesaffecting
theirlocalities.Italsoshowshowwomen'svoicescanbemademorevisibleandaudibleinthepublicsphere,challengingtheiron-goingexclusionfrom
localpowerstructures.
ThisprojectisinnovativeinthatitadoptscollaborativeprotocolsinspiredbytheworkofProfCahalMcLaughlinandhisworkonthePrisonsMemory
Archive(www.prisonsmemoryarchive.com)wherebyownershipofthisphotobookissharedbetweenShankillWomen'sCentre,LowerNorthBelfast
Women'sGroup,StarNeighbourhoodCentreandtheCentreforMediaResearchatUlsterUniversity.Thismeansthatweremainaccountabletoone
anotherintermsofthecreationanddistributionofthisphotobook.Thesephotographsconfirmwhatwehaveachieved,butalsohighlightissuesthat
thisgroupofwomenwishtobetakenforward.InawiderpoliticalcultureofpromotingexternalinvestmentandeconomicgrowthinNorthern
Ireland,itisessentialthosecommunitiesmostaffectedbytheconflictremaincentraltoaddressingitslegacy.Thisphotobookaimstoplayarolein
ensuringthatthisremainsthefocusofthepostGoodFridayAgreementpoliticalagenda.
DrJoleneMairsDyer,November2020
Email:[email protected]
Dawson,G.(2007)MakingPeacewiththePast?Memory,TraumaandtheIrishTroubles.Manchester:ManchesterUniversityPress.
Fay,M.,Morrissey,M.,Smyth,M.AndWong,T.(1999)TheCostoftheTroublesStudy.ReportontheNorthernIrelandSurvey:theexperienceand
impactoftheTroubles.Derry/Londonderry:INCORE.Available:http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/cts/fay99a.htm
NorthernIrelandStatisticsandResearchAgency(2017)NorthernIrelandMultipleDeprivationMeasure2017.Belfast:NationalStatistics.
Available:https://www.nisra.gov.uk/statistics/deprivation/northern-ireland-multiple-deprivation-measure-2017-nimdm2017
Ward,M.(2013)Excludedandsilenced:WomeninNorthernIrelandafterthepeaceprocess.https://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/margaret-ward/
excluded-and-silenced-women-in-northern-ireland-after-peace-process(Retrieved29thOctober2020)
Photographers
LeanneBest,CatrinaCampbell,HeatherFerris,JoleneMairsDyer,GenaMcIlwaine,SuzanneMcMinn,MargaretValente,LindaWright.
Housing
TheimageontheleftshowsanareaofderelictlandinHogarthStreetinTigersBayin2014.Westated‘houseswerepulleddownfromthisarea(…)over10yearsagowiththepromiseofnewhousesgoingup.
Thisisadisusedspacethatcouldbeusedforsocialhousing.’Thepictureontheright,takeninSeptember2020,showsthatouraimofensuringthisspaceisre-purposedforsocialhousinghasbeenachieved.
TheimageontheleftshowsalsoshowsHogarthStreetin2014.Westated,‘FromAprilonwardseachyearthisderelictareaisusedasabonfiresite.’Thepictureontherightshowsthatthishasnowbeen
re-purposedforsocialhousing,asweproposed.
TheimageontheleftshowsHalliday’sRoadinTigersBayin2014.Westated,‘Thesederelicthouses(…)
havebeenemptyforover10years.Wewouldliketoseetheserenovatedformuch-neededsocialhousing.’Thepictureontherightshowsthatouraimhasbeenachieved.
TheimageontheleftwastakeninNewLodgein2014.Westated,‘ThisrowofderelicthousinginNewLodgeisunderre-development;however,thehousestowardsthetopofthestreetwillnotbere-builtforanother7-10
years,despitebeinginthesamedilapidatedcondition’.Theimageontherightshowshowthespeedofre-developmentinstreetssuchasthishassignificantlyimprovedaswesuggested.
ThisimagetakeninNewLodgein2020showsthe‘housestowardsthebottomofthestreet’mentionedonthepreviouspage.Thisshowshowthespeedofre-developmentinNewLodgehassignificantlyimprovedaswesuggested.
PublicSpace
Theimageontheleftshowsachildren’splayparkinTigersBayin2014.Westated,‘Wedonotagreewithparamilitaryflagsbeingflownhereasyoungchildrenusethisfacilityeveryday.’Thepictureontherightshowsthesameplayparktoday.Allparamilitaryflagshavebeenremovedsincethepublicationofour
photobookin2015.
Barricades
Theimageontheleft,takenin2014,showstheonlygatemonitoredbyasurveillancecamerausedtogoinand
outofTigersBay.Theimageontherightisthesamegatein2020,whichisstillmonitoredandopensat7am
andclosesat5.30pm.Thismeansthatlocalresidentshavetowalkanextrahalfmiletousetheshopsafterthe
gatesclose.Whilstwewouldn’tliketoseethegateremovedentirely,wewouldpreferthattheopeninghoursbe
extendedandthatitisre-designedtolooklessintimidating.Thiswouldbeachievedbyconsultationbetween
statutorybodiesandlocalresidents.
Women'sServices
In2014wewrote,‘TheCornerHouseinNewLodgewasonceathrivingcross-communityfamilycentrethatwasusedbypeoplefrombothareas.Itprovidedmuch-neededchildcareandyouthservices.Itgraduallylostitsfundingandclosedaboutsevenyearsago.’AsofSeptember2020,TheCornerHouse
remainsunusedandderelict.Itcouldbere-purposedformuch-neededwomen-centredservicessuchasacrèche,childcareoreducationalservices.
Sinceweconductedourvisualsurveyin2014andpublishedourphotobook‘Women’sVisionfromAcrosstheBarricades’in2015,significantimprovementsthatwesuggestedandlobbiedforhavebeenmadeinTigersBayandNewLodge,
particularlyinrelationtohousing;however,therearestillsignificantissuesthatneedtobeaddressed:
Women’sservices
-Thereisstilltheneedforashared,safespaceforwomenlivinginTigersBayandNewLodgetocometogether.-Thereisstilltheneedforwomen-centredservices,activitiesandeducational
opportunitiesthatservicealllocalcommunitiessuchasacrèche,childcareandyouth
facilities.-Thereisstilltheneedforre-investmentinfacilitiessuchasTheCornerHousethat
couldhelpprovidethesemuch-neededservices.
Representationandinclusionofwomeninpositionsofpower
Thereisstillalackofwomeninlocalpowerstructures,whichmeanswecontinueto
beexcludedfromkeydecision-makingforums.Thisneedstobeaddressedurgentlybyencouragingandprovidingthesupportandservicesnecessaryforwomentobeabletoaccess,andparticipatein,localpowerstructures.
Consultation
Thereremainstheneedforlocalauthoritiesandpoliticalrepresentativestoengageinproper,meaningfulconsultationwithallcommunitieswhenmakingdecisionsabout
ourareas.
ISBN:
Women'sVisioninTransition
Women'sV
isionin
Tran
sition