Press Release

Floral festival to promote good relations

Wednesday, 23 April

A unique flower festival will begin on Saturday 26th April in St Columb’s Cathedral as part of the city’s celebrations for Community Relations Week, which takes place across Northern Ireland during 26 April and 03 May.

Over 30 events have been organised by Derry City Council in association with the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council.

The Bloomin’ Peace Flower Festival is aimed at depicting the positive impact of community relations across the city through the innovative display of beautiful blooms and flowers.

The arrangements will be on display within St Columb’s Cathedral and will include depictions of young people, the depiction of breaking down barriers through a wall of flowers with light on one side and darkness on the other, and wild displays made up of the kinds of flowers children used to pick when they were playing outside.

The flower festival has been organised by the Shared City Project. Jeanette Warke, is looking forward to the festival. “The flowers displays are beautiful and are fitting tributes to the effort the ladies across the city have made in arranging them. But they are also powerful symbols of the cross community work that goes and people will be moved by the stories they tell. All the flowers are displayed indoors and it will be worth a visit to see them”.

Derry City Council is supporting Community Relations Week and working in partnership with community organisations and ethnic minority groups across the city. Sue Divin, Community Relations Officer with Derry City Council said: “Community Relations Week is a chance for the hard work and dedication of many community groups in the city to be recognised. The work they do is invaluable in promoting cross community co-operation this flower festival is a great way to depict the good work being carried out. All people of the city should call into to see the excellent displays for themselves”.

The festival will also incorporate the some pieces of non-floral work completed by members of the St Columb’s Cathedral Youth Club. In a project entitled “Pieces United”, the young people have created four banners from pieces of material. These banners show a cathedral window, clasped hands, a vase of flowers and an oak leaf, and will be moved around and be displayed in different churches across the city throughout the year.

The flower festival is a free, drop in event and everyone is welcome to call into the St Columb’s Cathedral to see all the arrangements. For further information about the full programme of Community Relations Week events running in the city and throughout Northern Ireland, visit the Community Relations Council website at www.nicrc.org.uk

Derry City Council is delighted to support Community Relations Week , which is in line with the Executive’s Programme for Government 2008-2011 and its aim to ‘implement a programme of cohesion and integration for a shared and better future.’ It is also in line with Section 75 Good Relations legislation and Derry City Council’s Good Relations Strategy.

For further information about any of the events please contact the Community Relations Officers Sue Divin and Carol Stewart or Shared City Project Officer Jeanette Warke on Tel: 02871345160.

Ends

Notes to Editors:

There will be a photo opportunity with the Mayor, Alderman Drew Thompson, at 12.30 pm on Saturday 26 April at St Columb’s Cathedral.

For additional information contact:

Press Office

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