Derry film is joint winner of Turner Prize

The Long Note, by Helen Cammock, explores the history and role of women in the civil rights movement in the city.

The work was commissioned by Void’s Director Mary Cremin and displayed at the gallery last year to mark the 50th anniversary of the civil rights movement.

The film was jointly awarded the Turner Prize earlier this week along with works by Oscar Murillo, Lawrence Abu Hamdan and Tai Shani.

The decision comes after the artists wrote a joint letter to the jury asking that the prize be used as a collective statement of “commonality, multiplicity and solidarity” at a time of “political crisis”.

It is the first time in the prestigious art prize’s history, which was hosted by Derry as part of the 2013 City of Culture celebrations, that it has been awarded to a collective.

Void Director, Mary Cremin, said: “This is a historical moment, it is a powerful symbolic act that reflects that not all society is polarised and that there is a collective consciousness when thinking around the politics of our time.

“Helen Cammock’s commissioned film The Long Note reflects on the role of women in the Civil Rights Movement in Derry and Northern Ireland, and places it in a global context of that period. This coming together of the four nominated artist also reflect a voice of people who are affected by the policies of our governments, from climate chaos to the neo-liberal agenda. It is a gesture of commonality and solidarity that is a powerful statement at this time.”