South Eastern Education & Library Board
Title: Visions of the Future
Artform: Visual – Wall Murals and Sculpture
Organisation: Ballybeen Youth Group, Moneyrea Girl Guides Association, Moneyrea Youth Group, SEELB Youth Service & Sustainable NI
Creative Partners: Laureen Magill Visual Artist, Angela George Visual Artist, Ken Armstrong Video Documentation
Participants: 47 students 11-18yrs

Synopsis: A visual arts project focusing on one rural youth group and one inner city youth group. The rural youth group in Moneyrea created a seven foot high granite and bronze sculpture and the inner city youth group in Ballybeen created two large wall murals.

This visual arts project engaged two areas within Castlereagh Borough Council. This was an Action Zone Programme which engaged children and young people in Ballybeen Estate and Moneyrea. The Ballybeen Group designed and created two wall murals with CYP Artist Laureen Magill and the Moneyrea group created bronze plaques which were sited on a granite sculpture in the heart of the community with CYP artist Angela George. CYP Artist Ken Armstrong was appointed to oversee the creative development of both projects in each region.

Residency: The larger Ballybeen group spent a weekend at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum to being to discuss their thoughts and visions for Northern Ireland and how they would like to influence change within their own community. This work formed the basis for the designs of two wall murals. The Youth Service SEELB negotiated the reclaimation of two walls within the community which had paramilitary symbols. The Moneyrea group created a large granite and bronze sculpture which reflected the historical aspects of Moneyrea and investigated the vision which the group had for their community. There is a strong association of water in the name Moneyrea and an old watertower is a meeting place for the young people of the community.

Showcasing: A showcasing event took place in Moneyrea Primary School, December 2005, where both youth groups came together to celebrate their achievements. Every young person was given a DVD created by Ken Armstrong which followed the creative journey they had embarked upon.