Break through the walls that keep us from the unknown, ourselves and each other.
Viola Spolin, Actor, Director, Educator
Freedom Trails of Europe – Intersections between the arts, gender equality and human rights within the EU and beyond
Date and Time: Thursday 19 September, 10am-1pm
Venue: Samuel Beckett Theatre, Trinity College Dublin
Artists and Guest Speakers
Helen McEntee, Minister for European Affairs, TD Meath East; John Morgan, Dublin-based Lawyer and Co-Founder of the Basque Pyrenees Freedom Trails Association (BPFTA); Mary Moynihan, Writer, Theatre and Film-Maker, Artistic Director, Smashing Times; and Frédérique Lecomte, Director, Theater & Reconciliation, Belgium and the Congo
Moderator: Dil Wickremasinghe
Category: Combination of Talks, Theatre Workshop, Song
Tickets: Ticketed Event. Invited Schools Audience only.
Booking: SOLD OUT.
DETAILS OF EVENT
Freedom Trails of Europe involves citizens in fun activities to promote remembrance and awareness raising in relation to stories of solidarity during WWII and the role the EU and European solidarity can play to promote democracy, equality and peace. Taking place from 10am to 1pm at the Samuel Beckett Theatre for an invited audience of second level and university students this session explores the theme of Freedom Trails of Europe and features panel discussions and creative workshops. The event consists of:
Welcome by Moderator Dil Wickremasinghe
Freedom Trails of Europe Plenary Session with guest speakers
Q and A with audience chaired by Moderator, Dil Wickremasinghe
The guest speakers are:
Keynote: Citizens in an Equal Europe and European Solidarity in a Time of Crisis
Speaker: Helen McEntee, Minister for European Affairs, TD Meath East
Smashing Times are delighted to welcome Minister Helen McEntee, Minister for European Affairs and TD for Meath East. Minister McEntee is a member of the Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications and on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht. Minister McEntee will speak on the role of the EU and European solidarity to promote democracy, equality and peace today, with reference to the founding of the European Union after WWII and how, in times of crisis, European citizens can come together to transcend borders and combat intolerance.
Keynote: Remembering Freedom Trails of Europe – European Solidarity and Human Rights
Speaker: John Morgan, Lawyer and Co-Founder, Basque Pyrenees Freedom Trails Association (BPFTA)
What happens to a society when intolerance rises and totalitarianism takes over as happened in the lead up to World War II, explored through the sharing of stories from the past in relation to the escape lines of Europe, how they came about and how they influenced solidarity and co-operation between citizens of different countries and groups during WWII despite the failure of a peaceful European coexistence at that time. The solidarity and common values shared by the people who set up the escape lines is a source of inspiration and how can a remembrance of these stories promote a vision of solidarity across Europe today between citizens from countries including Great Britain, Poland, Belgium, Ireland, France and Spain?
The Basque Pyrenees Freedom Trails Association (BPFTA) is a voluntary organisation based in the Basque Country and with an international membership. It is dedicated to the recovery of the historic memory of WW2 Escape Lines’ operations across the Basque Pyrenees and which assisted Allied escapers and evaders, amongst others, to escape over the border from Nazi-occupied Europe during that conflict. The organisation conducts a series of commemorative events aimed at paying tribute to all those involved.
Keynote: Arts, Creativity and Human Rights
Speaker: Mary Moynihan, Writer, Theatre and Film-Maker, Artistic Director, Smashing Times
What are the creative passions that drive artists to create work that engages with human rights, what are the challenges they face and the key principles underpinning art, creativity and human rights, linking the arts within a EU context to democracy, equality and peace. Artist Mary Moynihan talks about her work using the arts to promote human rights, peace building and remembrance with a focus on women’s stories from WWII and today.
Keynote: Arts, Creativity and Human Rights
Speaker: Frédérique Lecomte, Director, Theater & Reconciliation, Belgium and the Congo
Artist Frédérique Lecomte, Belgium, talks about her work using creative processes to promote conflict resolution and reconciliation in the Congo. Frédérique is Director of Belgian company Theater & Reconciliation and she will speak about her unique Method for Theatrical Practice in Conflict Zones that she has developed using creative processes to promote conflict resolution and reconciliation.
Freedom Trails Equality and Solidarity Workshop: A Theatre based Workshop involving citizens in fun activities to promote remembrance and awareness raising in relation to stories of solidarity during WWII and the role and benefits of the EU today for promoting democracy, equality and peace. Participants are divided into groups to work with leading artist facilitators. Each workshop explores a story from WWII and the role of the EU to promote democracy and human rights in Ireland and Europe today. Facilitators: Tamar Keane, Kamila Witerska, Frédérique Lecomte, Larissa Manley, and Michael McCabe
Final Plenary Session chaired by Moderator, Dil Wickremasinghe
Song of Revolutionary Change by Fernando Benavente, IFESCOOP, Valencia, Spain
