In 2008 Arches facilitated a good relations programme funded through the Local Strategy Partnership. It lasted one year and included an Intergenerational photography project and a talent competition. The intergenerational programme was jointly facilitated by ‘Belfast Exposed’ and involved 10/11 year old children from 6 of the 7 schools in Randalstown and district getting together with senior citizens from the local ‘fold’ to explore lifestyles past and present. Through a series of crafted questions the two groups learned a lot about each other, including how they each socialised – the senior citizens talked about dance halls they would have gone to, often walking miles through country roads to get there, and the younger generation talked about going bowling and to the cinema. They also discussed what school is/was like and what kind of things they do for entertainment at home – the children talked about their computers, Wii’s and various video games, whereas the ladies and gentlemen spoke of crafts they learned at home like knitting, dressmaking and baking.
The children also took photographs of the town, creating a photographic map of Randalstown and recording the project as it progressed. At the end of the 3 month programme, the many images were mounted and we had an exhibition in the ‘Long Gallery’ in Stormont. The event was attended by local politicians as well as representatives from the schools and the participants themselves. The talent competition was also designed to bring young people of different backgrounds and cultures together to learn new skills and have fun. Over a period of 6 months, there were classes on drumming, piano lessons, guitar and singing lessons as well as voice coaches to prepare the group for their big night. As part of the project, each participant recorded a CD of their song, and were presented with these when they sang on the Wednesday night of the 2008 Arches Festival.
The Talent Show itself, jointly organised by ARCHES and the Ardan Theatre Group, was a night of glitz and glamour in the Parish Centre, with each nervous participant singing their heart out to an enthusiastic crowd.
