Project : Ireland / Arts & Trade unions

WORKING FOR CHANGE
The Arts and Trade Unions
in Northern Ireland

May 3rd, 2002: outside Transport House.
The Bogside Artists with the new T&G banner
ROUTES project, Northern Ireland

Background

From 2000 - 2002 LITTORAL collaborated with the ATGWU (Transport & General Workers Union) to develop a pilot arts and trade unions initiative; ROUTES. This initially involved bus workers and shop stewards from the two main bus companies; Ulsterbus and Citybus, working with artists, photographers, film makers and writers to document and celebrate the lives and achievements of the men and women who served in the bus transport sector in Northern Ireland over the past thirty years. The project also aimed to develop the outline of a new arts and cultural role for the trade union movement in Northern Ireland.

ROUTES poster, 2002

The ROUTES project was conceived both as a public celebration and a record of the contribution made by working people and the trade unions to the cause of peace and good community relations in Northern Ireland, and combating the rise of sectarianism in the work place. Invoking the historical links between the arts and the trade union movement, the project was framed to encourage the unions to rethink their cultural role as promoters of cross community unity in post-settlement Ireland; the intention was also to secure Lottery Arts funding for the labour movement, in order to expand worker involvement in and access to the arts

Jimmy Ellis and Peter Ballance, curtain call for ‘Kings of the Road’ by Brian McAvera

The Routes project Belfast, May week 2002

The first phase of ROUTES projects was presented during the 2002 May Week Trade Union cultural festivals in Belfast. An extensive programme was mounted of exhibitions, public art works, seminars, and workshops, plus videos and films about the bus workers and their history, later shown on Ulster Television. A play: ‘Kings of the Road’ dealing with the history of the bus workers, with Belfast actor James Ellis in the lead role, was commissioned from Irish playwright Brian McAvera, and presented at the Old Museum Arts Centre.

Report on the the 2002 ROUTES project (download)Transport House arts project (2003-04).

In 2003 it was announced that Transport House, the ATGWU Head Office, a gem of late Modernist architecture, was to be sold off. The prospect of this loss of an important landmark in the Irish labour movement initiated a second phase of ROUTES projects, focused on Transport House (2002-4). Again with Arts Council funding, two artists were employed to document the history of the building, and its possible future use as a cultural and community arts centre for working people. The artists appointed were writer Gerry Mclaughlin and photographer Frankie Quinn. Based at Transport House, they made extensive records of the building, its history, architecture, and portraits of the people and union leaders who worked there.

At a seminar meeting held at Transport House in January 2004, Roisín McDonough, Director of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, indicated that the Council would be willing to consider a proposal from the ATGWU and ICTU (N.I.) to extend the benefits of the ROUTES project within the ATGWU, and to other unions and working people’s organisations in Northern Ireland.

Roisín McDonough with Alan Mercer of Translink and members of the ATGWU.

Working for Change: expanding the Arts and Trade Unions initiative in Northern Ireland (2005 - 08)

Following this meeting the ATGWU, in dialogue with the ICTU (Irish Trade Union Congress -Northern Ireland), agreed to set up the ‘Working for Change’ initiative; depending on the success of this, and evidence of continuing union support, the project could later be considered developed as an all Ireland initiative.

The ‘Working for Change’ proposal was prepared by LITTORAL and has been submitted to the Arts Council of Northern Ireland for funding. The initiative includes provision for a part time Trade Union arts development worker, a new tranche of artists’ commissions, and a supporting seminar and workshop programme.

Working for Change: the Arts & Trade Unions in the Global economy
International Conference May 2006

The 2005-06 project development phase will culminate in a two day international conference: ‘Working for Change the Arts and Trade Unions in the Global Economy’.

Working for Change: the Arts and Trade Unions in Northern Ireland Promoting access to the arts for working people and the trade unions in Northern Ireland
Proposed project time frame: September 2005 - August 2006

‘Working for Change’ aims to involve as broad a range of people as possible, including working people’s organisations, and trade union members and shop stewards from all the unions represented in Northern Ireland.

A New Initiative:
‘ Working for Change’ differs from the previous ROUTES project in that it seeks to empower the whole Trade Union movement, via the proposed ICTU(N.I.)/ATGWU sponsored arts initiative, to take on a new cultural role, and eventually to expand its remit to become a leader and patron of the arts in Northern Ireland.

Consultations and previous pilot development
The current project has been developed by LITTORAL Arts in consultation with ICTU (N.I.) and the Cultural and Arts team at the ATGWU. The initiative grew out of the experience gained during the previous two pilot programmes supported by the ACNI Lottery Arts programme (see above).

Proposed project elements and development programme:

1. Trade Union Arts Coordinator/development worker

Appointment of a part time Trade Union Arts Coordinator / development worker. For one year initially, based at Transport House (ATGWU).

2. Access to the Arts Trade Union development programme

i) Working for Real: promoting trade union access to professional artists and arts projects.
Employment of up to four professional artists to work on placements with selected trade unions within ICTU (N.I.), to explore new ways of providing access to the professional arts through shop floor and arts-in-the-workplace initiatives.

ii) New investment for working people’s arts, creative skills and cultural traditions
The second development role for the Arts and Trade Unions coordinator will be to identify and map new areas for future arts and cultural investment with the trade unions in N. Ireland.

3. Expanding the benefits of the arts to other trade unions and working people’s groups in Ireland

In addition to working with other trade unions, the Working for Change coordinator will aim to expand the arts access programme and workshops to other workers and cultural groups in Northern Ireland.

4. Arts and Trade Unions exhibition and conference, Transport House, Belfast, May 2006

A central element of the Working for Change access to the arts programme will be an exhibition and one day conference presenting examples of Arts and Trade Unions ‘best practice’ projects in Ireland and elsewhere. The events will be timed to coincide with the ICTU (N.I.) sponsored May Day Arts Festival in Belfast, during 2006.

5. Proposed ICTU (N.I)/Arts Councils of Ireland Arts and Trade Unions forum

The other task for the Working for Change development worker will be to prepare the ground for a possible future forum between officials from the two Arts Councils in Ireland (ACI and ACNI) and ICTU (N.I.) committee (representing the Trade Unions in Ireland) to discuss the possibility of developing a three year (2006 - 2009) Arts and Trade Union initiative for the whole of Ireland.