That’s Powerful presents ‘Speak Up’ Workshop
That’s Powerful presents ‘Speak Up’ Workshop
October 13 @ 10:00 am – 1:30 pm IST
A community arts workshop using discussion, spoken word, creative writing, storytelling and performance to enable participants identify issues and rights that matter to them and turn ideas into creative expression.
The event supports confidence, participation, listening and positive social change as part of the cross-border PEACEPLUS That’s Powerful initiative. Presented by Playhouse Derry, Inishowen Development Partnership and Training for Women’s Network Belfast. Conducted by Car Brogan, Poet, Educator, Host.
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Artists
Cat Brogan, Poet, Educator, Host
Full Event Details
Speak Up is a community arts event being delivered by Inishowen Development Partnership as part of That’s Powerful, a cross-border PEACEPLUS project delivered in partnership by Playhouse Derry (lead partner), Inishowen Development Partnership and Training for Women’s Network Belfast.
That’s Powerful is part of the wider Making Peaceful Change programme, funded through the SEUPB PEACEPLUS Programme. The programme works with community groups, schools and youth organisations across Northern Ireland and the border counties of the Republic of Ireland, using a community-led approach to explore rights-based issues through creative expression and the arts.
Speak Up will explore how we use our voices to articulate the things we believe should change. Through discussion, spoken word, creative writing and performance exercises, participants will be invited to identify an issue or right that matters to them and experiment with turning ideas, perspectives and experiences into creative expression.
Led by an experienced arts facilitator, the workshop will use a range of accessible and participatory creative approaches, including free-writing, spoken word, storytelling, discussion and performance exercises. Participants will have opportunities to work both individually and collaboratively, with an emphasis on building confidence, encouraging creative exploration and finding their own voice.
The event aims to support participants to develop confidence in expressing their views, engage with different perspectives and explore creative ways of communicating ideas around rights and positive social change. It will also provide an opportunity to build connections between participants and encourage meaningful conversation around issues that matter to them and their communities.
Through Speak Up, Inishowen Development Partnership will contribute to the wider aims of That’s Powerful by creating a space where people can explore what matters to them, consider what they would like to see change and use creativity as a tool for participation and expression. The event reflects the project’s commitment to community participation, equality, rights, creativity and peacebuilding, while giving participants the opportunity to speak, listen and imagine positive change.
The event will create a supportive and inclusive space for participants to explore the relationship between individual experience and wider questions of equality, human rights and social justice. Through discussion, creative writing, spoken word and performance, participants will be encouraged to consider the rights and issues that matter to them and to reflect on how these connect to wider community and societal concerns.
The event promotes a human rights agenda by giving participants a platform to express their views, develop confidence in using their voice and engage respectfully with different perspectives. It will encourage participants to explore themes such as equality, inclusion, participation, dignity and the right to be heard, while recognising the diversity of experiences within communities.
A key principle is that participation should be safe and voluntary. Participants will not be required to disclose personal experiences they would prefer to keep private. Instead, creative approaches will allow people to explore rights-based issues in ways that feel appropriate and accessible to them.
By connecting creative expression with human rights, the event aims to empower participants to recognise their own agency, understand different perspectives and consider how positive change can be created within their communities.
This event is being delivered as part of That’s Powerful, a cross-border PEACEPLUS initiative, led by the Playhouse Derry in partnership with Inishowen Development Partnership and Training for Women’s Network (TWN) Belfast).
That’s Powerful works with community groups, schools and youth organisations across Northern Ireland and the border counties of the Republic of Ireland. Using a community-led approach, the programme explores rights-based issues through creative expression, creating inclusive, peer-led spaces where people can share experiences, have meaningful conversations and express themselves creatively.
Speaker Biographies:
Cat Brogan is a socially engaged artist, facilitator and project coordinator with extensive experience delivering community-led arts, heritage and peacebuilding projects across Ireland, the UK and Southeast Asia. Her practice combines storytelling, participatory arts and creative facilitation to support communities in exploring identity, belonging, social justice and lived experience. She has significant experience working with young people, LGBTQIA+ communities, migrants, older adults and cross-community groups in both rural and urban settings.
Alongside her artistic practice, Cat has coordinated funded programmes involving stakeholder engagement, workshops, events, evaluation, safeguarding and public outreach. She is experienced in trauma-informed facilitation, inclusive practice and collaborative project design, with work supported by organisations including Arts Council Northern Ireland, Creative Ireland, PEACEPLUS, the International Fund for Ireland and Poetry Ireland.
Organisations Involved / Partner Organisation(s):
