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Direct Division
Direct Division
October 18, 2021 @ 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm IST
Direct Division is a short documentary film featuring children describing, in their own words, their experiences of living in Direct Provision. The film will be freely available from 15 – 24 October, along with an exhibition of artwork by the children. A post-show discussion with the creatives involved will be held on 18 Oct. Hosted…
Book Your Place
The Direct Division art exhibition will be freely available to view on the Smashing Times Virtual Arts Gallery from 15 October 2021.
Speakers
Dr Carmel Corrigan, Head of Participation and Rights Education, Ombudsman for Children’s Office
Aoife McNamara, Participation and Rights Education Coordinator, Ombudsman for Children’s Office
Graham Seely
Full Event Details
Direct Division is a short documentary film featuring children describing, in their own words, their experiences of living in Direct Provision. This gives insights into their past journeys, current life and hopes for their futures. The film highlights how the rights and lives of these children are affected by Ireland’s Direct Provision system.
Direct Division amplifies the voices of children who are seldom heard. It allows children living in Direct Provision to talk about their experiences in their own words. The children’s identities are protected due to the sensitive nature of the content.
This film is one output of a consultation with children living in Direct Provision by the OCO.
Art Exhibition:
Direct Division is an art exhibition featuring children describing, in their own words and images their experiences of living in Direct Provision. This gives insights into their past journeys, current life and hopes for their futures. The artwork and writing highlights how the rights and lives of these children are affected by Ireland’s Direct Provision system.
The Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) is an independent, statutory human rights institution that promotes the rights and welfare of children living in Ireland. The OCO has two main functions, to investigate complaints about services provided to children by public bodies, and to promote and protect the rights of children under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Children living in Direct Provision: 73 children, aged 12 to 17 years, seeking international protection in Ireland and living in Direct Provision accommodation came forward to share their experiences and views with the OCO. Through focus groups, video interviews and art work, these children courageously shared stories of their past, their experience of rights and life in Ireland and their hopes.
Gansee: Founded in 2013 by Tim Gannon and Graham Seely, Gansee Films have established themselves as one of Ireland’s leading producers of documentary, commercial and campaign video content. Gansee work with clients ranging from Trade Unions and NGOs to multinational corporations and arts organisations.
Splattervan: A mobile youth arts facility, run by Claire Coughlan and Helen O’ Keeffe, using visual art as a tool for self expression and empowerment. Running since 2013, they have worked with many incredible young people and organisations throughout Ireland and beyond to create street art, animations, art works and actions that give them space to be seen and have their voices heard.
Speaker Biographies
Dr Carmel Corrigan
A graduate of Trinity College Dublin, NUI Maynooth and the Irish Law Society, Carmel spent 16 years working as an independent researcher specialising in children’s rights, participation, policy and law. Since taking up the post of Head of Participation and Rights Education in in the OCO in 2018, she had led a number of rights-based consultations with children.
Aoife McNamara
Aoife studied in NUI, Galway and Queen’s University, Belfast, she holds an LLB and LLM. She has worked in the fields of human rights and development education for the last 8 years. As the Participation and Rights Education Coordinator in the OCO, Aoife specialises in consulting with children facing human rights abuses, teaching them about their rights under the UNCRC and listening to their stories.
Graham Seely
A lifelong film and photography fanatic, after completing the Higher National Diploma in Film and TV Production at Colaiste Duhlaigh, Graham spent several years working as a photographer and freelance cameraman. Gansee Films was established in 2013, with goal of creating cinematic and photographic projects focusing primarily in the Arts, Politics, and NGO sectors. Graham’s photography has been displayed in several exhibitions, and his feature-length documentary, The Man in the Hat, was screened at the Galway Film Fleadh 2018.
What is the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman?
What is the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman?
- We are a human rights institution and work to protect the rights of children and young people in Ireland.
- We investigate complaints about services provided to children by public organisations.
- We want children and young people to be actively heard and respected so they experience safe, fulfilling and happy everyday lives.
Our History
In Ireland as far back as 1996 many committed people who were interested in children’s rights put pressure on the Government to have an Irish Ombudsman for Children.
The Ombudsman for Children Act, which sets out the role and powers of this Office, was agreed by the Dáil and the Seanad in 2002. The Ombudsman for Children is a presidential appointment and reports directly to the Oireachtas.
Originally Ombudspersons for Children’s Offices were set up to independently investigate complaints against public organisations. However, after the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was agreed in 1989, Ombudspersons for Children’s Offices also began working hard to promote the rights of children.
Dr Niall Muldoon was appointed Ombudsman for Children in February 2015 by President Michael D. Higgins. He was then reappointed by the President in 2021 for a further 6 years.
What is Direct Provision?
Direct provision is the name used to describe the accommodation, food, money and medical services you get while your international protection application is being processed or while you are an asylum seeker, which means the same thing.
You might get direct provision if you have applied for international protection and are waiting for:
- Your first decision
- The result of an appeal to the International Protection Appeals Tribunal
- A judicial review (where the High Court looks at how a decision on your application was made)
- A decision on whether you will be given leave to remain
- A deportation
Your direct provision normally ends if the Department of Justice gives you permission to remain in Ireland, but sometimes you can stay in direct provision temporarily while you are looking for your own place to live.
Organisations and Funders
