Derry art expo to explore half century of human rights

The exhibition, ‘From Bloody Sunday to Brexit’, will be launched at the Museum of Free Derry on Monday, June 13, at 6pm.

It’s been organised by the Trust in partnership with ArtsEverywhere.

Declan McLaughlin, of the Bloody Sunday Trust, says the events of January 30, 1972, continue to inspire artists.

He says that, ever since British soldiers killed fourteen non-violent protestors in Derry in 1972, artists and musicians from across the world have “created work to reflect their sadness and anger, and their determination for social justice in the North of Ireland and beyond”.

He said: “From John Lennon and Yoko Ono to Locky Morris, and from Christy Moore to Robert Ballagh, the massacre in the Bogside inspired generations of artists to employ their creativity in the service of human rights.”

At the start of this year, the Trust and ArtsEverywhere invited submissions that would explore human rights over the previous half century.

The resulting artworks included paintings, sculptures,  photographs, illustrations, designs, installations and poems.

The final exhibition will feature works by Robert Ballagh, Greag Mac a’tSaoir, Rosaline Callaghan, Ryan Coyle, Anto Brennan, Sue Morris and Greg McLaughlin, Donal O’Doherty, Patrick McNicholl, Michael Phillips and Kathryn Phelan.

The artworks will be displayed in venues across the city, including The Playhouse and the Centre for Contemporary Arts, at Artillery Street, the Guildhall, the Museum of Free Derry, as well as outdoors on Rossville Street.

The exhibition will close with an intergenerational dance performance which will take place between Ebrington and Guildhall Square, on Saturday, June 18, from 4.30pm to 6.30pm.