Creativity builds new friendships and a fun-filled experience at 'All As One' Good Relations Summer Camps in Derry

Greater Shantallow Community Arts said they were delighted to have been supported by Radius Housing Association to enable them to provide 200 children and young people from across all our communities with the opportunity to experience a two- week long ‘magical’ programme of arts-based creativity and fun at Studio2 Youth & Community Art Centre in Skeoge.

Ollie Green, Arts Director at Studio2 said they look forward to continuing to work together for the benefit of local children.

“We are extremely grateful to Geraldine and the wonderful team at Radius Housing Association for coming on board to support this amazing experience for so many of our children and young people”.

“Throughout this incredible two-week period, our children have experienced the magic of the arts through music, dance, drama, singing, arts and crafts allowing each child to unlock their unique creative potential whilst making new friends and sharing wonderful fun-filled experiences. This has been an integrated experience, sharing it with other children from different communities that they may never have had the opportunity to meet and get to know.

"They have built new friendships and enjoyed the cultural diversity that makes our city and region so special”.

Mr. Green went on to highlight how community arts instils confidence, resilience and more in our young people.

“Our ‘ALL AS ONE’ Summer Camps programmes builds on the ethos of communities that ‘Play Together, Stay Together.’

"It illustrates how there is nothing better than Community Arts for inspiring the confidence and resilience of our children especially those from marginalized and socially deprived communities who sometimes miss out on the opportunity to experience the magic that only the Arts can deliver.

" We are truly thankful to Radius Housing Association for their kind support, and we look forward to working together in building a positive future for all our children to enjoy and thrive”.

Speaking about the programme Geraldine Dougan Radius Housing Communities Officer said: “We are delighted to have supported this programme, to see so many children from across the community come together to make new friends and enjoy a fun-filled two-weeks of music dance and drama.

“It’s proved very fruitful, and we hope to continue building relationships with these young people and their families through other good relations programmes and activities in the future”.

The All As One programme is being supported by the Department for Communities and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive’s ‘Housing for All’ Shared Housing Programme. The Programme had its origins in the NI Executive Together: Building a United Community Strategy, which reflected the Executive’s commitment to improving community relations and continuing the journey towards a more united and shared society.

Radius Housing currently has 14 shared housing developments across Northern Ireland. Approximately £4.6m has been invested in the Ebrington Oaks shared housing development in Derry and the associated five-year good relations plan.

Radius Housing continue to work in partnership with the local advisory group stakeholders and residents to develop and deliver a good relations plan for the area.

The Ebrington Oaks good relations plan includes ‘bridging’ events which are delivered to the wider community to encourage a range of good relations outcomes which include health and wellbeing, education and training & celebration of diversity in arts and culture.