Good Relations Week 2023: More than 200 events across Northern Ireland

The packed programme includes arts, history, music, sport and cross-community cultural events, hosted by a wide range of organisations and groups across the region.

Aimed at promoting inclusivity, cultural expression and peace-building, the Good Relations Week programme offers workshops, lectures, panel discussions, feature talks, podcasts, storytelling, new digital content, and exhibitions.

Good Relations Week is co-ordinated by the Community Relations Council and supported by The Executive Office as part of the ‘Together: Building a United Community’ strategy.

The week’s events are designed to offer a simple but powerful message: that working ‘together’ is the most effective vehicle for tackling the problems our communities face today.

As well as serving as testament to the unity achieved within the last 25 years, the brand-new creative programme of events will help address the challenges we are facing now, highlighting issues such as gender inequality, racism and sectarianism, climate change, promoting diversity, barriers to education, shared spaces, peacebuilding and celebrating cultural diversity.

Speaking at the launch of Good Relations Week 2023, actor and comedian Tim McGarry said: “I am delighted to serve as an ambassador for this year’s initiative and I am very excited about the number of events taking place across the region.

“I genuinely feel that these activities and events offer a real opportunity for people from all walks of life to come together, break down barriers and continue building more inclusive communities.

“It’s about putting yourself out there, having the craic, sharing your sense of culture and identity, and learning more about others. I would encourage everyone to take a minute and see what is happening in their local area and beyond – trust me you don’t want to miss out!”

The vibrant programme of events for Good Relations Week 2023 features everything from the ‘Let’s Connect’ 5-A-Side Football Tournament at the Valley Leisure Centre in Newtownabbey to a familiarisation walk by East Belfast Community Development Agency.

Forthspring Inter Community Group will host an event to celebrate and share breads from all over the world at their base on the Springfield Road, while Reclaim the Agenda and Here NI will partner to host an online quiz around this year’s theme ‘Together’.

Budding gardeners are being invited to the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum to meet other ‘green fingered’ enthusiasts, help bring the cottage gardens at Cultra back to life, and grow the heritage fruit and vegetables they would have produced over 100 years ago.

You can also join in with the activity organised by The Eden Project or the seminar by Northern Ireland Environment Link looking at environmental issues and how we share our spaces together.

Ligoniel Improvement Association are facilitating a cross community event in their North Belfast Community Garden, engaging communities’ different backgrounds in wildflower planting and floral art.

They are also hosting a shared education project with St Vincent De Paul and Ligoniel Primary schools, planting wildflower seeds and taking a mindfulness walk at the environment heritage site at the nearby Mill Dam.

New drama will also be offer with two NI theatre companies presenting their work as part of Good Relations Week 2023.

At the Holywell Trust in Derry/Londonderry, Kabosh Theatre Company will present ‘Third Person in Our Marriage’, a piece commissioned by Relatives for Justice to mark the anniversary of the release of the Eames/Bradley Report.

The short drama examines the sensitive subject of victimhood through a lens of one couple’s marriage.

Partisan Productions, in association with Clanmil Housing, will perform their engaging and funny production ‘Shared?’, a meditation on the experience of living in or near a shared housing development.

The show will visit the Glenavon Hotel in Cookstown and Barron Hall in Newtownabbey during Good Relations Week.

This year Good Relations Week also coincides with the UN’s International Day of Peace.

Corrymeela, Northern Ireland’s longstanding peace and reconciliation group, are collaborating with a host of individuals and organisations to curate a very special evening of music and conversation.

The ‘Celebration of Difference’ at St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast will shine a spotlight on some of the voices and lives that make our society so rich and diverse.

For more information on the Good Relations Week 2023 programme of events, visit www.goodrelationsweek.com or keep up to date on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #GRW23.

Speaking about the Good Relations Week programme Martin McDonald MBE, Chair of the Community Relations Council, said: “The diversity and creativity of the events taking place are a testament to the propensity for cultural expression continuously exhibited by the people of Northern Ireland. We would love to see communities coming together to help celebrate our commonalities and differences alike and show their support for those running events.”

Dr, Jacqueline Irwin, Chief Executive Officer of the Community Relations Council added: “The ways in which individuals and organisations right across the region come together to support Good Relations Week provides a glimpse of the work that goes on all year – thank you to everyone contributing to the week.

“It is great to see so many community groups getting involved alongside local councils, housing associations, our libraries, and museums. I would encourage everyone to visit the website and browse the huge number of events on offer. It has been a difficult year financially. I believe that now more than ever we need to work together to share ideas, space, and experiences as we tackle the wide range of issues we are facing in our society.”

Chris Gardner, Director of Good Relations and T:BUC Division TEO commented: “Initiatives such as Good Relations Week are an integral part of our continuing community strategy and are especially important at times of economic challenge. This programme plays a vital role in bringing communities together to continue the dialogues which helps ensure a peaceful, fair, equal and prosperous society for all people.”