A NEW theatre project has been launched in Coventry which seeks to tell the story of the city’s vast Irish community.
Irish. Here. Heard. is a new community arts initiative organised by The Seanchaí Collective and funded through Coventry City Council's Made in Cov programme.
The Collective is a Coventry based not-for-profit organisation founded by the family behind the Message to Margaret campaign, which successfully secured the right to an Irish-language inscription on the gravestone of the late Margaret Keane.
Established to ensure that lived experience becomes a catalyst for learning, creativity and lasting change, the Collective was launched to harness the power of storytelling to amplify voices that often go unheard.
“This project is deeply personal,” Bez Martin, Director of The Seanchaí Collective, said this week.
“It grew from our family's belief that identity, language and culture matter, and that every community deserves to have its stories considered. Every family has stories that deserve to be told,” she added.
“Some are remembered, others are lost, and too many are never shared at all.
“Irish. Here. Heard. is about making sure the next generation has a place to discover those stories, tell new ones and celebrate what it means to be Irish in Coventry today.”
Irish. Here. Heard is The Collective’s first community arts project.
It invites young people and adults from Irish and mixed Irish heritage to join them to explore identity, belonging and what it means to be Irish in Coventry today through theatre, storytelling, Irish history and introductory Irish language.
“More than a drama programme, Irish. Here. Heard. creates a space where stories are shared, identities are celebrated, and a new generation can shape the future of Coventry's Irish community,” the organisation explains.
“Because the future of Coventry's Irish community will be written by the people who tell the next story.”
Taster sessions are free and will take place on August 17 at Christ the King Parish Centre in Coventry,
For those aged 8 to 18 years old, the taster sessions will run from 12pm to 2pm or 2.30pm to 4.30pm. Adult taster sessions will run from 7pm to 8.30pm.
For further information contact [email protected]
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