PRESS STATEMENT
What Northern Ireland Means to Me — a new podcast of reflections on a centenary
Shared Future News
1 September 2021
Shared Future News has launched a new podcast, What Northern Ireland Means to Me, to mark the centenary of Northern Ireland. The 20-episode series is presented by journalist and broadcaster, Julia Paul, who asked individuals to reflect on the past century, to describe what Northern Ireland means to them today, and to envision what the place will be like in a hundred years’ time.
Participants include activists, writers, campaigners, artists, peacebuilders, entrepreneurs, policy makers, and clergy; younger and older people; and single and multiple generation stories.
Describing her experience of interviewing and listening to participants’ contributions, Julia Paul said:
“It doesn’t take long to realise the diversity of experiences and views of people living in Northern Ireland and calling this place home. Some can claim a long history of belonging, while others returned after some time, and others still are first generation arrivals. Many describe a warmth and generosity of others, while acknowledging our unique history. It has been a joy to hear such testimony.”
Allan Leonard, editor of Shared Future News, explained the motivation behind the podcast:
“We wanted individuals, including those voices less ordinarily heard, to say for themselves what condition they think their heritage is in now as well as how it could be in the future. With the podcast we seek to present a form of ‘constructive nostalgia’ — to share our histories as well as our desired futures, so that perhaps in another century we can reflect on our plurality of thoughts and aspirations.”
What Northern Ireland Means to Me has been made possible through the Shared History Fund, which The Heritage Fund is delivering on behalf of the Northern Ireland Office to help people mark the centenary of Northern Ireland in an engaging, thoughtful, and inclusive way. On behalf of The Heritage Fund, Paul Mullan, Director, Northern Ireland, said:
“Through the Shared History Fund we’re delighted to support 39 projects that will help people mark the centenary of Northern Ireland and explore our unique and diverse history over the past 100 years.
“What Northern Ireland Means to Me is a great way for people to listen to a range of stories from the people that make Northern Ireland the place it is today, and is a positive contribution to engaging with our heritage going forward.”
ENDS
NOTES
Just search for “Shared Future News” on popular podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or subscribe by RSS.
About Shared Future News
Shared Future News is an online publication that shares stories of peacebuilding in Northern Ireland. It was established in 2008 as part of a cross-community initiative to encourage active citizenship and participation in public policy. Volunteers have reported on the activities of grassroots organisations, across the generations and political spectrum.
Shared Future News was established as a Community Interest Company in 2020. Its public benefit is to make freely available quality published news, information, and personal stories on the topics of peacebuilding, reconciliation, and diversity. Its vision is a shared Northern Irish society where peace is improved by reporters and researchers. Its objective is to provide depth and context to peacebuilding activities in Northern Ireland and beyond.
https://sharedfuture.news • @SharedFuture • #SharedFuture
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
The National Heritage Memorial Fund, which also operates as The Heritage Fund, is delivering the Shared History Fund on behalf of the Northern Ireland Office.
The Shared History Fund uses funds provided by the UK Government and is not National Lottery funding. Outside of this fund, The Heritage Fund uses money raised by the National Lottery, inspiring, leading, and resourcing the UK’s heritage, to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future.
Since The National Lottery began in 1994, National Lottery players have raised over £41 billion for projects and over 565,000 grants have been awarded across the UK.
https://www.heritagefund.org.uk • @HeritageFundUK • @HeritageFundNI • #NationalLotteryHeritageFund • #SharedHistoryFund
