Queen’s Communities and Place (QCAP), in partnership with Market Development Association and the local Market community, have opened the doors to a photography exhibition as part of the Creative Communities Programme.  

The exhibition is the first stage of an arts-based programme in collaboration with The Market community of inner south Belfast, aiming to tackle ‘place-based’ challenges.  

It offers poignant insights into the power of a creative community in confronting challenges of trauma, legacy and substance use.   

Áine Brady, Community Innovation Practitioner from Queen’s Communities and Place reflects, “This exhibition reflects the power of community and the Arts in addressing stigma and breaking the silence that exists in relation to substance use, trauma and mental health. 

“It was great to see people coming together to share their stories about life in the Market, what it is like to grow up here, to live here and to raise their families here.” 

The interwoven photographs and narratives have been used to co-curate the public exhibition chronicling the origins, evolution, and challenges for the Market community.  

Maria Murtagh, a resident who took part in the project, spoke about the group experience saying, “It’s really bonded everyone together, people opened up on experiences they’ve had around drugs and trauma for the first time and it felt like a weight off.   

“We are all proud to be Market people and love our community, and I hope people can feel that when they see our photos as well.” 

The programme was brought to life by the participants, facilitated by Funky Buddha Productions’ Matt Farris.  

One of the young people taking part was 17-year-old Lucy Flynn. 

"There were a couple of sessions in which some of us were left in tears," she said. 

"We did get into deep, personal experiences of things that are going on in the Market with substance abuse, with generational trauma; how things that have happened to our parents, to our grandparents, that we're still dealing with the fallout today… but then we've been able to come back out the other side and produce something amazing.” 

Existing global research has underscored the public health crisis fuelled by escalating substance use, particularly among young people. Northern Ireland’s, unique historical context of 'the Troubles,' contributes to the complexity of substance use issues.  

Professor Kathryn Higgins, Director of Queen’s Communities and Place highlighted: “This exhibition is an opportunity for the community to share the work that has been done through the Creative Communities programme; and is part of a wider body of research ongoing in the Market, with QCAP, the MDA, and Market residents to help the community respond to the growth in substance use. It's been about highlighting the positives and keeping alive the characters and the stories within the community." 

Along with Queen’s, the programme has been funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Creative Communities.  

Queen’s is one of only five Higher Education Institutions across the UK to be awarded the Community Innovation Practitioner pilot. The award supports working in collaboration with cross-sector partners to tackle shared challenges and opportunities faced by a local community. 

Media

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