Our Lives, Our Legacy
Using the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement to bring young people together across the sectarian divide.
Project information
£59,500
Total Spirit grant
April 2023 – March 2024
Project duration
Springboard Opportunities
Grantee organisation
Our Lives, Our Legacy used the platform of the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement to explore the legacy of the sectarian conflict.
The project, delivered by Springboard Opportunities, and funded through Spirit’s Moments to Connect programme brought together 15 young people from across the sectarian divide to participate in a series of development opportunities through 2023, including a co-created event to mark the anniversary of The Agreement on 10 April. Through their lived experiences, the participants reflected on the conflict and had the opportunity to use it as a platform to explore their hopes for the future.
Our Lives, Our Legacy was an opportunity for Spirit of 2012 to learn more about how a significant national event can be used as a ‘moment’ to shine a light on pervasive issues such as peace in Northern Ireland. The project gained attention from curators, local media, local community organisations, researchers, government and funders. This opened up opportunities for collaborations such as being showcased in a documentary, PR coverage and requests for young people to speak at peacebuilding events, conferences with world leaders, meet with Secretary of State, Department of Foreign Affairs, Northern Ireland Office and academic researchers.
The event is being showcased as part of an exhibition visited by more than 4,000 people per week.
Project aims
- Use the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement as a platform to build connection between divided communities.
- Generate insight and contribute to wider learning around the strategic planning of events to maximise impact and social value.