Cultural Weave

Exploring the power of the arts

Cultural Weave involves the delivery of a series of conferences exploring how community arts organisations could help address racism and support the integration of minority ethnic communities. With the speed of local demographic changes and change in structure of the population, racist attacks are on the rise.

Northern Ireland is a very insular region, with a history and culture of segregation. This initiative, which is the first of its kind in the region, explores innovative ways of using the arts to overcome serious issues.

Who is involved?

The initiative is steered by a planning group consisting of ArtsEkta and the following organisations:

• Community Arts Forum: a membership organisation that spans all art forms and all areas and aims to provide greater access to the arts to all people in Northern Ireland
• Down Community Arts: a unique organisation in the Down area, offering a high quality participative arts service to people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities
• Island Arts Centre: one of Ireland's major leading multi-arts venue presenting a unique diversity of arts and entertainment choices all year round and arts base for Lisburn's vibrant cultural and creative scene.

Cultural Weave 1

This conference, held in 2009, was designed to address the weak infrastructure in the Down area to support the integration of minority ethnic communities. It aimed to:

• To profile minority ethnic arts to increase public awareness
• To raise awareness of minority ethnic integration and challenges we face
• To provide a networking opportunity and platform to stimulate and develop ideas
• To provide a networking opportunity and impetus for partnership development
• To agree aims and objectives for a way forward

Speakers included: Superintendent Karen Baxter, PSNI Community Safety, C Division; Vicki Maguire, General Manager of Down Community Arts; Geetha Updahaya, Director of Kalasangam Arts in Birmingham; Deepa Mann-Kler, an artist from County Down; Naz Koser, Director of Ulfah Arts in Bradford

Cultural Weave 2

This conference was held in 2010 and provided the opportunity to network and engage with others working in the area of minority ethnic arts and with minority ethnic communities, as well as offering the chance to learn from best practice project examples, both local and from further afield. The event will involved a choice of three discussion-led workshops on the following topics:

• Using the arts to engage with minority ethnic young people
• Involving the minority ethnic community in community festivals
• Local political and cultural sensitivities training for BME artists

Speakers included: Geraldine Gray, Project Manager, Leitrim Design House and Harminder Berman, Arts Development Officer, Creative Scotland.

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