News

Children's Express Foyle Bureau launched a multimedia exhibition in the VOID gallery entitled "Global Eye". The exhibition ran from 16th-23rd November.

Global Eye was the culmination of a year long development education project 18 young people from the Foyle Bureau had been working on. It was funded by the Department for International Development and Save the Children.

Through a series of workshops and interviews with people from the developing world members learned at first hand about poverty and inequality. The exhibition explored the Millennium Development Goals and, through the concept of interdependency, how we are all co-responsible for the world we live in.

There were 4 elements to the Global Eye exhibition:

• a 15 minute documentary "The Ribbon is Red" looking at HIV & AIDS in Northern Ireland
• a photographic exhibition called "One Truth – One Lie" examining HIV & AIDS and poverty on a local and global context.
• A digital imagery project looking at hidden poverty in Derry
• "Jay's Story" – an audio package exploring the experiences of Jay, a 35-year old from Northern Ireland who is living with HIV.

Four pupils from St Mary’s College worked on these projects: Aoife White, Nicole Lynch, Terri McLaughlin and Sharmin Rahman.

Project Worker, Malachy Kyle, who co-ordinated the Global Eye project, says "it has been a fantastic journey for the young people involved. It is brilliant for them to gain an understanding of how global and local issues affect us all, and in many different ways, whether that be poverty, HIV & AIDS or climate change. It has been an opportunity for the young people to examine their own attitudes and beliefs aound HIV & AIDS and poverty, while also giving them a chance to create awareness around these issues using the media and the creative arts."

Foyle Bureau Project Co-ordinator Martin Keeney says the Children's Express members can be very proud of their achievements. "The entire process has been a huge learning experience for all included and I have been very impressed by their level of dedication and professionalism in taking this on. This is a powerful collection of work they have completed. Too often many people focus on the negative in relation to young people and here is a very positive piece of work completed by them, which should be celebrated. I would urge all people, young and old, to come and see the results."

1 Children's Express Foyle Bureau is part of Children's Express UK a registered charity that promotes creative learning through journalism and the creative arts programme for young people. It has projects, known as Bureaux, in London , Belfast and Foyle.

2 The Foyle Bureau of Children's Express is located at the Verbal Arts Centre, Stable Lane , L'derry BT48 6PU. Young people interested in joining the project should contact Martin Keeney at: Tel: 028 71 272514 in the first interest to obtain application forms. Information on Children's Express and its programme are available at: www.childrens-express.org

Contact: Martin Keeney at 028 71 272514 or mobile: 00353 8768 06676

[Ends]