Paper short abstract:

Using the case study of Derry~Londonderry and its designation as ‘UK City of Culture’ in 2013, this paper analyses the challenges associated with the production of a year-long cultural heritage programme in a culturally and politically divided place.

Paper long abstract:

Using the case study of Derry~Londonderry and its designation as 'UK City of Culture' in 2013, this paper will analyse the challenges associated with the production of a year-long cultural heritage programme in a culturally and politically divided place. Given that the Northern Ireland's second largest city has largely been understood in terms of a bloody conflict between 'two traditions', Irish/Catholic and British/Protestant, the paper critically reviews the dialogue and negotiations with reference to public places as well as the representation of collective memory and traditional music during the year-long festivities. Extensive fieldwork in the city over a number of years has enabled us to investigate how culture and identity politics were played out in the context of city that is still in a process of reconciliation. Placing our case-study in a strongly comparative context, this paper argues that cultural and heritage can be pivotal points of (re-)negotiation in any society transitioning from conflict to 'peace'.