Community Relations and Cultural Awareness Week to feature over 160 events

• 18 – 24 September
• Over 160 events
• All council areas represented
• Coordinated by the Community Relations Council

The programme of events for this year’s Community Relations and Cultural Awareness Week (18-24 September) is launched today.

Coordinated by the Community Relations Council (CRC), the week will feature over 160 events across all council areas between September 18 and 24.

Under the theme Safe Space: Shared Place, events will cover issues including dealing with the past, language, faith, interfaces, Traveller culture, and promoting diversity.

The programme of events can be found at: www.community-relations.org.uk

Event organisers include community and voluntary organisations, local councils, Libraries NI, National Museums Northern Ireland, the Education Authority, and a wide range of others.

Events range from an exploration of the Gaelic history and heritage of East Belfast to a series of gatherings for young people to explore issues such as sectarianism, diversity and acceptance.

There is also an event entitled ‘Reclaiming the Bonfires; Lessons Learned’, which will present learnings from a series of workshops on the rich, diverse and shared history of bonfires locally and around the world.

International Peace Day and Culture Night are also included in the programme of events.

Community Relations Council Chief Executive, Jacqueline Irwin, said: “We have chosen the theme Safe Space: Shared Place to allow us to show how many safe and shared spaces we have here. Not just physical spaces, but space in how we think about each other”.

“We want to draw attention to the work that is going on all the time to broaden and deepen our sense of safety and to create even more spaces that are shared by all of us.  The week is an opportunity to showcase the ways in which people are making room for each other and getting involved in helping others feel safe to share sport, drama, film, food, arts, culture, music, debate, talks, tours and everything that can make life good here.

“The number and variety of independently organised events that are part of   Community Relations and Cultural Awareness Week 2017 is testament to the work undertaken by members of our local communities each and every day and the positive change it is making for all of us here,” she adds.

Community Relations and Cultural Awareness Week is coordinated by CRC with support from The Executive Office, the Department for Communities, the Department of Justice and other government agencies.

For more information on events happening in your area, visit community-relations.org.uk where a copy of the programme is available for download.

You can keep up to date with Community Relations and Cultural Awareness Week 2017 on Facebook and Twitter and by using the hashtag #CRWeek17.