Borderlines - Oral and Photographic Archive Project

- 'Louth/Down border' Cover image from Borderlines Book.

Personal stories and experiences from the border counties, a new title published by Gallery of Photography, edited by Borderlines Team.
 

The Borderlines Oral and Photographic Archive project has recorded interviews with 100 people who give their own unique views of experiences connected to the border. The project has three main outputs: the Borderlines book, a cross border touring photographic exhibition and a major new oral/photographic archive. The oral interviews are each an average of 2 hours long. The project has actively sought to encourage ‘quieter voices’ to contribute to the archive. The place, the tone and shape of the interview were negotiated between the interviewer and participant. Many interviewees detail socio-economic change and smuggling.  There are the perspectives of a Traveller woman, an English man whose son was killed; academics; community workers; ex-combatants; mothers; and members of the security forces. Some are very personal, others less so.

The researchers recruited to carry out the interviews were drawn from diverse backgrounds who were all local to the border or working within those communities. The agreed approach was phenomenological, seeking to understand and record the reality as the participants perceived it, whilst being mindful of personal subjectivity. The project opens the possibility for a society to learn from its past and hopes to contribute to personal and societal healing.  However, where centuries of protracted conflict have brought about generational trauma in society, as here on this island, the past refuses to be shrugged off easily.

Listen: To hear an audio sample from one of the interview sessions please click here to listen a segment of audio as a Quicktime MP4 file. (Dur: 9min 25secs)

Borderlines is part of a wider discourse which is examining how should we remember the events connected with the conflict in Ireland, with a view to individually and collectively contributing to the healing of the wounds of our society.

Preview: You can view a complete contents listing of the Borderlines book and read a sample from one of the chapters by clicking here to download a PDF.

The Borderlines archive will be placed in 6 cross border museum/archive organizations.. A touring exhibition will launch the archive in each venue.

Touring Schedule: Harbour Museum, Derry, 20 March – 29 April 2007; Louth County Museum, May –June 2007; Fermanagh County Museum, Enniskillen Castle, October–November 2007;  Newry & Mourne Arts Centre and Museum, July –August 2007; Donegal County Archives and Museum, Spring 2008; Monaghan County Museum and Library Services, Spring 2008;

For further information contact: Trish Lambe, Project Director, Gallery of Photography

This project is part-financed by the European Union through the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by the Cross Border Consortium.

Borderlines is a Gallery of Photography project organised in collaboration with Dara Training and Consultancy.

Bringing Transitional Spaces back to Life - A review of Borderlines: Personal stories and experiences from the border counties. Borderlines Project, 2006, by Brandon Hamber - Click here to read the review.

List Price:          €50.00 / £35.00

Shipping. €7.50 within Ireland and UK
Overseas - info available upon request, via email

Availability: In Stock. Ships from and sold by Gallery of Photography.

Other stockists:
Harbour Museum, Derry; | Louth County Museum, Dundalk, County Louth; | Fermanagh County Museum, Enniskillen Castle,; | Newry & Mourne Museum, Bagnels Castle, Newry, County Down,; | Donegal County Archives and Museum; | Monaghan County Museum and Library Services; Hughes and Hughes.