Shared History & Culture Programme - Facilitator to Manage a Cross-Community project redressing and challenging the legacy of John Mitchel

Tender description

The Council is seeking to appoint a facilitator to manage a programme of workshops, visits and a conference to engage the local community in redressing and challenging the legacy of John Mitchel through investigating the life, works and impact of John Mitchel. This programme will include the production of a virtual exhibition to include a participant led digital video on John Mitchel’s life and legacy, to be hosted on Newry & Mourne Museum website aimed at KS3/4 and for circulation to the wider public, the production of a small travelling exhibition and an interpretative panel. In response to the Black Lives Matter Campaign and the controversial issues that arose surrounding John Mitchel and his pro-slavery position Newry Mourne & Down Council received petitions with more than 1200 signatures from local residents across the community including PUL, CNR and BME backgrounds, calling for the statue of John Mitchel to be removed from John Mitchel Place in Newry. The following is a link to news coverage of the Councils response to the issue in June 2020 where they reference exploring the possibly of an education programme as part of their response; https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2020/06/23/news/council-to-establish-responsibility-for-john-mitchel-statue-1982264 This project will redress the legacy of John Mitchel and support the community’s positive response to the Black Lives Matters campaign. The public response in the Newry & Mourne area to the Black Lives Matter Campaign focused on the fact that to date John Mitchel’s racist and pro-slavery position has been ignored. The Council want to enable the community on a cross-community basis to redress the historical legacy of John Mitchel in the Newry Mourne & Down area. The community response showed clearly that it was a community united against racism in all its forms and there was a need to reset the narrative on John Mitchel.