Paper short abstract:

The poster displays a research project that seeks to examine if storytelling and narrative strategies, by using the tool of the arts, can contribute to a transformation process within the Northern Irish post-conflict society since the official peace agreement in 1998.

Paper long abstract:

Since the 'Good Friday Agreement' in 1998, peace-building initiatives have proliferated in Northern Ireland. Amongst these, the arts have played a prominent role, drawing on a range of international and locally devised models. Some of those, mostly community-based, arts projects attempt to reconcile identity groups who are in conflict by using narratives and personal storytelling. However, research and evaluation on both the processes and the impact of such work has been scanty and under-developed. The poster demonstrates a research project that analyses those processes of telling personal life stories in public and seeks to explore their impact on an inter-personal, inter-group and wider societal level within a violently divided society. It is taking into account the interdependency between private and public meaning and considers possible risks through this process of displaying one's own experiences to a public space.

Research up to now has included following and analysing a community project that used the tool of storytelling transformed into drama to foster stability, reconciliation and peaceful human interaction in the post-conflict society of Northern Ireland. At the end of a two year long process, two original theatre productions were performed by inter-generational groups of people from different backgrounds who have been affected directly or indirectly by 'the Troubles'. Through methodological triangulation using participative observation, in-depth interviews and other sources of data (written feedback, project reports, reviews, newspaper articles) I seek to understand and explain if storytelling can contribute positively to a peace process in a society coming out of conflict.