The Mid Antrim Museums Service’s Community History Project is a multimedia programme in which participants share experiences and make videos based on cross community themes.

Dominique Bouchard, Museums Access Officer for the Larne area, is responsible for overseeing the Making History project in four council areas including Larne. The programme received over £100,000 of EU Peace II funding. Ten children aged 7 to 14 from the Antiville area watched community history videos at the Nerve Centre, Londonderry to inspire ideas of their own. The students were drawn from several schools - Linn Primary, Moyle Primary, Larne and Inver Primary, St Comgall’s College and Larne High School.

Dominique, originally from New York, said that the group are writing and producing short films and live action versions of comic books incorporating their own cross community experiences. She said: “The idea behind the project is to enable people to come up with their own ideas. It’s not prescriptive. It’s based on things they enjoy.The idea is that these encounters help broaden the participants’ view of history in relation to their own experiences, as well as helping them interrogate their place and role in memory, public history and their community.”

encouraged

If people are encouraged to participate in such projects, she said, it can build confidence and arouse participants’ interest. “That’s more effective than if you tell them how to do it. We wanted to engage with the community.”

Tracy Crawford, 13, said: “The project is really good. I'm having a lot of fun and it's something different that I haven't done before." Molly McKee, 7, said: "Doing the project together, it's really good to see how Catholics and Protestants are really the same."

The results of the project will form part of an exhibition which will open in Larne Museum early next year. “Every project we’re doing has a cross community aspect and helps people to engage with history. It’s not about books and dates. It helps people to engage positively,” Dominique added.

The children involved so far have really enjoyed the experience, according to Karen Gordon from Antiville Community Group. She said she has noticed a positive shift in many of the children’s attitudes. “They have more self-esteem and respect,” she said.

As a cross-community programme the young people explore ideas of community, religion and the Troubles.

Of 20 groups across four council areas the Antiville project is the first off the ground in Larne. Dominique paid tribute to Karen Gordon for her dedication and project work. The New Yorker, a graduate of Columbia and Oxford universities, added: “In Making History we have joined up with local community groups spanning all ages, abilities, nationalities and religions. It is important to us to involve participants from a range of backgrounds and experiences to produce an interesting, thought-provoking community history for Larne.