Over the years, art in all its forms, has been considered as a way of expression. It is a common language that draws feelings and emotions regardless of people’s backgrounds. As powerful as it is, art highlights societal issues and spreads love and hope. Indeed, it is one of the most efficient ways to massively spread an idea and gather people on the issue’s importance. It creates a strong bond among people and contributes to increasing the audience of messages and their understanding. Moreover, if it translates abstract ideas or concepts such as SDGs, it shares daily testimonies about suffering, and struggling experiences but harder hope and pride as ATD activists did with this artistic project. These ideas are the inspiration behind our new book and film project “Creative Pathways to Participation”.
On Wednesday 6th February we began our filming on Location on Sandymount beach. Once again, we were delighted to collaborate with Steven from Brainstorm productions to carry out our filming. We chose Sandymount beach as a way to conceptualise the idea of isolation and solitude, a key theme emerging from the poetry; and the natural environment- the protection of which is so central to the sustainable development goals. Community activists Craig and Long were in front of the camera on this day. Craig spoke on last year’s trip to Strasbourg at a study session at the Council of Europe. Craig described what it meant to him to attend an event like this and why speaking out is important to him. He described his journey as a young teenager facing obstacles to pursue higher education to now being in his first year of studying ‘Community and youth work’ at Maynooth University. Further, he set out his ambition to support other young people and to ensure that they do not experience the same barriers as he did.
“ATD Ireland gave me more confidence in actually going out and speaking at these events and it’s actually encouraging me with the work I’m doing now in college to help more young people with disabilities to come forward and speak about it and not be isolated or afraid”.
Long, well known within ATD Ireland as a talented painter, discussed the importance of art to him as a form of expression. Right on the beach he drew the Poolbeg chimneys which could be seen in the distance on the beach. He spoke about his process in painting and how art has been important to him throughout his life. “My mother is a very good artist so I’ve been painting all my life”
The next day we met again to film more of the project participants in Trinity College Dublin. We really appreciated our host Dr Joe Whelan, assistant professor in Trinity College School of Social Work and Social Policy.
Throughout this collective project, it was chosen to record some interviews and testimonies within the most famous institution of Irish society- Trinity College. Fulfilled with knowledge and diversified cultures, this place symbolises a transformation pathway, translates hope for people in poverty situations to deal with their current situation, and optimism for more inclusion and representativity of people in poverty experience in Irish society.
For this project we aimed to include a diverse range of voices in order to represent the Sustainable Development Goals in a more holistic sense. As a result, we are very pleased to have a number of members of other organisations involved. These include Doras Bui- a parents alone resource centre based in Coolock. From Coalition 2030 who are funding this project we have submissions from Misean Cara and Zero Waste Alliance Ireland and representatives from these organisations joined us on the day. Jack from Zero Waste Alliance read three poems, all related to protecting our natural environment; “Bog; For Aisling Muller”, “Trees” and “Sea tangle”. “We (Zero Waste Alliance Ireland) are an environmental non- governmental organisation … we do a lot of submissions and policy documents aimed primarily at our own government and government departments- but also we write a lot to the European Commission advocating stronger laws, better implementation of existing legislation and better ways of dealing with what we discard”. Craig recited a poem criticising over- consumption called “Black Friday Tree”. “This poem was written about Black Friday, which has become a sort of consumer holiday that we’ve all grown to love. It seems to be up there now with the like of Christmas and Halloween. I was lucky enough to be working in retail on the sacred day so this poem originated during my break and the interactions that happened on Black Friday”.
ATD Ireland team member and Community Activist Paul. He read two poems“I was asked to write the foreward and it got me thinking of the Community Activists we work with and the transition within them from when we first initially started… we’re more and more polished in our work. This piece of work we’re doing now is to be seen, I believe, as a celebration of our capabilities and the tenacity of our activists and when we first took up this journey, which was many years ago, we used the creative process to help bring people out of themselves because a lot of us were with that self- doubt and there was a lot of insecurity. We built a space around us in the ATD office. There is the creative process and the encouragement of your voice, whatever that voice is”.
Eamonn and Siphiwe from Misean Cara shared poems from three young people, Ivan, Lily and Cecilia. “The poems that you are going to hear are from a project that is run by an organisation called Three2Six, which is supported by the Marist Brothers in Johannesburg in South Africa, especially in slum areas, or informal settlements”.
“One of the things that we have found a lot is that one of the great things in our projects for mobilising people, for galvanising people, and really also just for their own self- empowerment and self- satisfaction and happiness is to be involved in creative works”.
Martin, a longtime friend of ATD Ireland and member of the 17th October Committee described the importance of including “voices from the margins”. He read a poem inspired by the Cycle against poverty event last summer where a number of volunteers cycled from the Strokestown Famine Museum to the poverty Stone in Dublin for an ATD Ireland fundraising event.
Terence, friend and volunteer of ATD Ireland recited his poem “O mighty pen”. “This is about the power of the pen and education. I’m all about education – but real education, not the education I was brought up with. Anyways- this goes to my Irish roots”.
Moving toward the Samuel Beckett Theatre in Trinity College, Community Activist Gavin spoke on his experience growing up in an impoverished area in Coolock and how working on the strawberry beds while in a rehabilitation centre allowed him to see the importance of having good resources around you. He speaks on the important of voice and supporting others. “So, you can encourage anybody, you know. The tongue is a powerful tool. It has the power to build a person up but it also has the power to take a person down, do you know what I mean? And with the discrimination that’s going on these days, there’s a lot of discrimination, when it comes out of people’s mouth- they don’t understand the power of their actual tongue and what it can do to an individual”.
Our resident rapper Jimmy have us renditions of two of his recently written tracks; “International poverty” and “Breaking Barriers”, and ‘Party up’, one of his classics. “One of the nuns in the treatment centre turned around and said to me- if you want to express yourself- take a pen and paper. With that pen and paper, it helped a lot with what was on the inside with drugs and alcohol, to come out with drugs and alcohol”.
Community Activist Christina recited her two poems, the first about Disney and the second about her life in ATD. “When you have things written down- it gets out and you’re not bottling it all up”.
Friend and volunteer Veronica, speaks about the importance of participation of women in the workplace and in leadership positions. “Get involved. Ask questions. Participate. Get in there”.
Finally, to round off the day, Joe spoke on the importance of creative arts methodologies as a mode of inclusion. “When we include people or attempt to include people’s voices, are we doing it in a way that’s actually conducive to including people who may not be comfortable answering direct questions or who may not be comfortable taking part in surveys and focus groups and things like that”.
Thank you so much to all our brave artists- those featured in the film and all those who will be in the book. Thank you very much to Steven for filming and Cat for editing and thank you to Joe and Trinity College for the filming space!
Thank you very much to Coalition 2030 for supporting this project.
Creative Pathways to Participation- book, film and launch event coming soon!
