Derek Moore, co-ordinator,the Bands Forum and Dean Steele, community relations team, Derry City Council, taking part in the Marching Bands Initiative at St. Cecilia’s College with Year 11 pupils, Grace Cooper, Chloe McCloskey, Eva Sheils and Caryn Sheils. Photos: Tom Heaney, nwpresspics.
Pupils at a Derry school have become the first in the North to take part in an innovative programme exploring the culture, traditions and perceptions associated with marching bands locally.
Derry City Council Community Relations Team are working closely alongside the city’s Bands Forum and St.Cecilia’s College in piloting the initiative.
Year 11 pupils at the Bligh’s Lane college are the first secondary school pupils in Northern Ireland to engage in educational citizenship workshops around bands.
“Many people see a stereotype rather than the bigger picture when they think about marching bands,” explained Derek Moore, co-ordinator of the bands forum.
“The bands forum is happy to work with everyone to help them understand the culture better. We hope that by offering free workshops to school pupils will have the chance to learn some music as well as debate their views.”
The workshops combine presentations on different types of marching bands with a chance to play some music and use the newly published “Marching Bands Activity Sheet” to explore issues.
St. Cecilia’s College Year 11 pupils, Grace Cooper and Chloe McCloskey taking part in the Marching Bands Initiative.
Pitched at young people from 10 – 15 years old, it covers topics like our current reactions to seeing marching bands, our associations with them, the instruments, the history, information on parades and debates around different views on parades.
The initial pilot in St.Cecilia’s will be followed by an open opportunity for all local schools to book workshops as part of Community Relations Week in June.
Sue Divin, Community Relations Officer in Derry City Council said: “Sometimes in Northern Ireland we are known more for saying what we are against, rather than what they are for – but this city and district in 2013 showed that together we could rise above that.”
Eleanor McDaid, Citizenship Coordinator from St Cecilia’s College, the school was keen promote a more inclusive view of marching bands in the community and across Northern Ireland.
She added: “For too long now, bands have been viewed as sectarian and divisive. We would like our pupils to understand, take part in and enjoy all cultures, dispelling any myths and fears they already hold around the issue of bands.”
Year 11 pupils Holly Morgan, Kirsty McDaid, Seanna Hegarty, Shannon Hutcheon and Cameron D oherty at the Marching Bands Initiative. Included, on left are Dean Steele, commuity relations team, Derry City Council, Eleanor McDaid, Learning for Life & Work “Citizenship,” Andrew Lynch, St. Columb’s Park House, Corina Kerr, art teacher, and Derek Moore, co-ordinator, Bands Forum.
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