Moat Park Development Involves a Cross-Community Norman Exhibition

June 21, 2017

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council has commissioned a cross-community project for local young people to participate in entitled ‘The Normans and their Legacy in Ireland’ as part of its Development Plan for Moat Park, Dundonald.

The project facilitated by ‘Young at Art’ involved a series of workshops within the participating primary schools and youth groups: Cairnshill; St Joseph’s Lisburn; Carryduff; Moneyrea and St Joseph’s Carryduff; Lisburn Youth Centre and 29th Belfast Scouts, to design artistic illustrations of the legacy left by the Normans in Ireland. Each group created mosaics of Norman shields and swords, tapestries and took part in dramas detailing the story of the Norman lifestyle and their battles. 

Councillor Tim Morrow, former Chairman of the Council’s Leisure & Community Development Committee and current Mayor, speaking about the project, said: “I was very impressed by the creativity and attention to detail of the artworks created by local schoolchildren.  The Normans were well-known to create mosaics to tell the story of their heritage and battles; and our young people have portrayed the Norman heritage to a high standard in their artworks.

“The cross-community partnership working on this project has been excellent and our children and young people have embraced the opportunity to learn about their cultural heritage in a positive manner.  I would like to commend the Young at Art artists and facilitators for all their hard work with the participating groups.”

In the coming months the work of the young people in this project will be interpreted into street art panels to be displayed in Moat Park.