‘Women in the Archives’ Film Project Reveals Women’s Hidden Voices

‘Women in the Archives’ film project, a group of 25 south Armagh women have created five films, under the theme of south Armagh, ‘Changing the Narrative’ which will have a public screening on Wednesday 19 June, at 8.15pm in the Wald Centre, Cullyhanna. The five film themes were songs of the area, women artists, women in sport, women in farming, and the lace-making tradition in the area.

‘Women in the Archives’ is a joint initiative between the Linen Hall Library and the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) to uncover hidden women’s voices from their archives.

Between them, the heritage organisations hold some of the key records and building blocks of women’s heritage in Ireland. In partnership with Libraries NI, an exhibition will tour around Northern Ireland, continually evolving and being added to as new groups interact with the subject through interactive community engagement projects.

The Ring of Gullion Partnership worked with the ‘Women in the Archives’ partners to recruit groups in south Armagh to develop their own ideas on highlighting local women and their importance to the local community and its heritage.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Charlie Casey said, “This terrific project has enabled the women involved to explore their own lives and their skills as well as local stories and traditions.

“These films showcase women and south Armagh and will help change the narrative around both. It brought the participants together using the creative arts and digital technologies to fire their imagination and unlock the creativity of participants, while exploring contentious history and identity, and promoting reconciliation.”

The ‘Women in the Archives’ project is part of a larger ‘Making the Future’, a cross-border cultural programme which will empower people to use museum collections and archives to explore the past and create a powerful vision for future change.

A consortium of leading cultural organisations is delivering the regional programme, including the Nerve Centre, National Museums NI, PRONI and the Linen Hall Library, supported through €1.82m of EU funding under the PEACE IV Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

As part of ‘Making the Future’, participants from different communities, cultural and religious backgrounds will have multiple opportunities to get involved, to have their voices heard, to tell stories relevant to their lives, to be creative and to gain new skills. Stories and creative responses will be displayed in shared spaces and places, including high profile exhibitions and events, digital content and social media channels, throughout the project.

If you can’t make the launch night, the films will also be shown as part of the Summer Solstice Community Celebrations in An Tobar at Finnegan’s Nursery, Silverbridge on the 21 June.

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