Oct 04
0
NIYF Homeless Report

Young people call for more support to combat homelessness

By | General, News, Newsroom

Two young women are using their traumatic experiences of homelessness to fight for support and access to the right information at the right time to help prevent the same thing happening to other young people in Northern Ireland.

Blair Anderson and Saoirse McEvoy are calling for a single online information and advice service to be set up to help young people under threat of being made homeless.

It is one of five key recommendations of kNowhere to Go? – a peer approach to preventing homelessness in NI – a report compiled by Blair and Saoirse after extensive engagement with young people throughout Northern Ireland.

The report, launched today (September 22), was produced as part of the Northern Ireland Youth Forum (NIYF) Change Project – a collaboration with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, funded by the Department for Communities to build the capacity of young people aged 16-25 who have experienced homelessness or have been in care.

As well as a single online help service, the report calls for educational workshops on homelessness to be delivered in schools, support and training for teachers and youth workers, an awareness campaign to end the stigma of homelessness and a freephone helpline and signposting service for young people at risk.

The report details the stigma surrounding homelessness which prevents young people from admitting they are in trouble. It also highlights the lack of information in schools about homelessness and recommends that it should be part of the curriculum.

Blair and Saoirse, who are now employed as NIYF Peer Mentors, told an invited audience including senior representatives from the Department for Communities and the Housing Executive, that their aim in compiling the report was to tackle the increasing rates of youth homelessness by providing help and support to those in a similar position.

Blair, who found herself homeless after growing up in the care system, said the struggles she has faced have given her a desire to help others and make a difference.

She added: “I want to help create a safe environment for those who find themselves in tough situations and to reinforce the importance of not giving up. My example shows that with the correct support, help and guidance you can overcome any situation in life.”

Saoirse was homeless at the age of 17 when she was asked to leave the family home. She ended up living in a homeless shelter, but her life changed when she became involved with the NIYF Relentless Change Project.

Saoirse said: “I know that the housing system can be complex and hard to know where to get help. As a Peer Mentor I am determined to use my experiences to help other young people avoid the problems I faced.”

The report was published amid rising numbers of young people finding themselves homeless in the wake of the Covid crisis. In April, figures supplied by the Department for Communities showed that youth homelessness has quadrupled during the pandemic, with placements in hotel and B&B accommodation increasing from 320 in 2019 to 1,418 in 2020.

A separate report from the homeless charity, Crisis estimated that between 70,000 and 112,000 people in NI were ‘hidden homeless’ with just under a third of those under 30.

Amanda Stewart, the NIYF Change Project Manager, said the report showed that the prevalence of youth homelessness needs addressed and it was vital for the Government and statutory agencies to concentrate resources on prevention.

She said: “It is a fact that a lot could be done to support young people at risk of becoming homeless before things start going wrong at home or in care. Young people don’t know where to go for help. The report shows the need for a single online information source where they can go for advice.

“There is a lot of information out there, but it is confusing and inconsistent, with no single reference point that states clearly what they should do if they find themselves at risk of becoming homeless. Our analysis shows that young people find it overwhelming – there is lots of national information that just doesn’t relate to Northern Ireland.”

To access kNowhere to Go? – a peer approach to preventing homelessness in NI go to: www.niyf.org

Oct 04
0
Bounce festival

Bounce! A Festival in Two Cities

By | Comedy, Creative Industries, Dance, Festivals, General, Music, Theatre

The Bounce Arts Festival, one of Northern Ireland’s most diverse and eclectic arts events, is building on its success by expanding into the North West for the first time.

The acclaimed d/Deaf, disabled, and neurodiverse arts festival is celebrating its 9th anniversary with a packed programme of events in Belfast and Derry/Londonderry from October 1-3, showcasing the best new work by d/deaf, disabled, and Neurodiverse artists from the UK, Ireland, and Europe.

Bounce!, which is run by the University of Atypical and supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Department for Communities and Belfast City Council, has grown into one of the top disability arts festivals in Europe featuring a mix of dance, comedy, music, art exhibitions, poetry readings and physical theatre

Damien Coyle, Chief Executive of University of Atypical, said: “Bounce has become a hugely popular event in Belfast and by expanding into the North West the festival can reach an even wider audience. We make Bounce events as accessible as possible to disabled and D/deaf audiences, but Bounce is for everyone. The festival is perfect for people with open minds and an appreciation of diverse and unique creative talent.”

Gilly Campbell, Head of Community Arts and Education, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, added,

“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is committed to supporting the work and career development of our D/deaf, neurodivergent and disabled artists.  The Bounce Arts Festival offers an important platform to shine a spotlight on work from these artists whilst also showcasing work by disabled artists from the UK and Europe.

Congratulations to the University of Atypical who have curated a terrific programme for Bounce this year which features some of the most talented artists from Northern Ireland including, performance artist, Sinead O’Donnell, dancer, Helen Hall and playwright, Alice McCullough.  I am also delighted to see Bounce expand to the North West for the first time, offering exciting opportunities for the future of the Festival.”

Among the many fantastic performances this year is the ground-breaking Drag Syndrome, an internationally acclaimed drag-collective featuring drag queens and kings with Down Syndrome. They are fierce, versatile, hard-working, professional artists who have been featured in British Vogue, Hulu, RuPaul’s DragCon and the Royal Opera House. This show will be at the Black Box in Belfast.

Performance artist Sinead O’Donnell, dancer Helen Hall and storyteller/stand-up comedian Alice McCullough will all perform in new work Commissioned by the University of Atypical in both Belfast and Derry.

Alice McCullough will perform her Brave New Words show at The Vault in Belfast and at the Verbal Arts Centre in Derry. Alice’s award-winning combination of stand-up comedy, poetry, storytelling, and theatre is an uplifting and thought-provoking adventure. Having had many ups and downs herself, she speaks candidly about her battles with Bipolar disorder and shares inspiring words to keep us going against the odds.

Sinead O’Donnell will perform her show Trigger – derived from the artist’s experiences working in public environments – at Flax Arts Centre in Belfast and at the Nerve Centre in Derry – Londonderry.

Helen Hall will perform Collecting Moments in which she explores how we experience the moment, our attempts to try and step back into that moment and how the moment might change.  Helen will perform at the Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast and the Nerve Centre in Derry-Londonderry.

There are many more live shows and workshops and online content including multi award winning singer/songwriter and filmmaker Robyn G. Shiels who conjures up music and casts lyrical spells for a special one-off gig in Havelock House in Belfast, and multi-disciplinary artist, Declan Byrne exhibits his observed translation of the world at the Atypical Gallery in Belfast

. All in-venue events will be subject to enhanced Covid-19 protocols and procedures to keep everyone safe. For more information on all the live shows, workshops, and online content and to book tickets, go to www.universityofatypical.org/bounce

Oct 04
0
Sole Purpose

Derry shop inspires drama about refugees

By | Creative Industries, General, Music, Social Enterprise, Theatre

A shop in Derry’s Shipquay Street that became a meeting place for Syrian refugees and local people is the inspiration behind a new play produced by award winning Sole Purpose Productions at The Derry Playhouse Theatre from September 23-25.

Samara’s Shop, managed by Mohamad Ali, became an unofficial advice centre for refugees fleeing the war in Syria when they began arriving in Derry in 2016.

Patricia Byrne, the Artistic Director of Sole Purpose Productions, wrote the play because she saw a resonance between the people who left Ireland during the time of The Great Hunger and people arriving in Derry from Syria.

Patricia said: “I was interested in writing a play comparing the desperate plight of modern-day refugees with emigrants fleeing the ravages of the Irish Famine. Both were prepared to take extremely hazardous journeys on ill-equipped vessels to find a new life.

“These ideas had been swirling around in my head for some time and I decided to use the shop as a setting where people who were leaving Ireland during The Great Hunger cross paths with people arriving from Syria and share their stories and experiences.”

During her research she was inspired by a series of documentary films, Atlantean, made by Bob Quinn in the 1980s. In a four-year study, he found that Arabic communities living in North Africa traded with Ireland by sea many hundreds of years ago, and as a result there are many similarities between Irish and Arabic cultures, including the language and music.

Patricia added: “The Irish Gaeilge language and Arabic language have very similar syntax; the Irish Sean Nós style of song and dance is very similar to the Arabic style of song and dance. Quinn explores the possibility that Irish language, music and art is related to ancient Iberian, Mediterranean and North African culture.”

The ideas were further developed through workshops with Irish and Arabic speakers, actors, musicians and some local Syrian refugees. The play will include Irish and Syrian actors who will perform music and speak in their own languages. The cast will include Baraa Halabieh, Karim Motaz, Julie-Yara Atz, Cara Park and Sean Donegan. One of the London-based actors, Baraa Halabieh, is a refugee who spent five months in The Jungle Refugee Camp in Calais. Baraa said, “I am really looking forward to working on this production and to seeing the merge of cultures.” He will be playing Yoissef, the Manager of Samara’s Shop.

The play begins with two female characters, Muireann, a presence from the time of the great hunger and Syrian refugee Sedra performing a call and response musical sequence in Irish and Arabic. Musical Direction and composition is by Martin Coyle with Paul Cutliffe and Nikos Petsakos. With a truly new sound, the music perfectly magnifies the similarities between Irish and Middle Eastern tones, making for an amazing sensory experience. Samara’s Shop is a play for the present, the past and the future and the vital link between us all.

Sole Purpose Productions is a multi-award-winning theatre company and will be celebrating 25 years in 2022. It uses the discourse of imagination to investigate and illuminate social and public issues. For more information about Sole Purpose go to www.solepurpose.org and for how to book tickets go to: https://www.derryplayhouse.co.uk

Ends

Oct 04
0

NI-based company develops foods of the future

By | Business, Corporate, Environment, Food for thought, General, News, Newsroom

A Northern Ireland start-up business is in advanced talks with several multi-national food companies to manufacture the sustainable, plant-based foods it has created to help feed future generations.

Based at Innovation Factory in West Belfast, Born Maverick, the brainchild of biotechnologist Azhar Murtuza, has received funding from Innovate UK, Invest NI and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) to develop food that will help reduce carbon emissions.

The company has just finalised a prototype of prawns and scallops made from seaweed that replicates the taste and texture of the real thing.

He said: “There is a huge demand for new products from global food companies and we have received interest in our vegan shrimps and scallops, particularly from the US, Scandinavia and Singapore. We are currently finding the right match for the product.”

As well as developing vegan seafood, the company is also working on the creation of highly nutritious plant-based dairy products and iced lollies that contain healthy nutrients and fibres.

His work on plant-based milk, cream and yoghurt is also at an advanced stage. “We are working with one of the biggest dairy companies in the Nordic countries to develop this product. Companies in Scandinavia are very forward-looking, they think on a global scale and are all about sustainability,” he said.

The company’s vegan lollies are a healthy alternative to the traditional sugary treats, providing much needed fibre, with a range of fruit flavours and alcohol-free cocktail flavours such pina colada and Irish Whiskey. He is currently in talks with a major dairy company in Sweden to manufacture them.

Besides above projects, Born Maverick has also started working on an ambitious project of extracting proteins from seaweed sources through his new venture Born Maverick Alt Pro Ltd in collaboration with Natural Resource Institute (University of Greenwich) and National Centre for Food Manufacturing (University of Lincoln) which is based in Kent Science Park.

Azhar’s dream is to create a food innovation centre in Northern Ireland. He says companies in Northern Ireland are beginning to realise the potential of vegan foods and have approached him about developing their own home-based products.

He added: “Why not come up with your own new foods rather than import them from other countries? This is the challenge ahead for the Northern Ireland food industry. There is more and more space being taken up on supermarket shelves by plant-based products and that is why companies are showing interest.”

Stephen Ellis, Innovation Manager at Innovation Factory said Born Maverick was a great example of a company looking at innovative ways to create new products aimed at improving people’s lives.

“Azhar is a born entrepreneur, inventor and innovator and it is very exciting to see him collaborating with companies throughout the world to come up with solutions to sustainable global food production. We are fully supportive of his plans to set up a food innovation centre in Northern Ireland,” he added.

Innovation Factory is owned by Belfast City Council and operated on their behalf by Oxford Innovation. The £9.1m business hub was funded by Belfast City Council and Invest NI with support from the European Regional Development Fund.

As well as providing jobs and developing entrepreneurship in West Belfast, the centre is dedicated to engaging with the local community through outreach programmes, education, and work placements.

Customers include a range of start-ups and growing businesses in a variety of sectors including digital services, creative industries, business services, financial services and research and development.

For more information on the Innovation Factory visit: www.innovationfactoryni.com