Northbound Two: Baltic Neighbours, the Polish and Lithuanian in Northern Ireland
Following the success of the first Northbound symposium on Italy and the Italians in Northern Ireland last November, the Academy for Irish Cultural Heritages (AICH) at the University of Ulster turns the spotlight on the Baltic Neighbours with the second of the Northbound symposia series in May.
Northound is a research series organised by AICH that focuses on both the established and the emerging European cultural landscapes in today’s Northern Ireland. Migration and Cultural Encounters is one of the Academy’s research themes
To date, the Polish and Lithuanian communities make up more than two thirds of the estimated 60,000 people that have come from Eastern Europe to live in Northern Ireland. Geographically close but culturally different, Poland and Lithuania share centuries of common past yet form two distinct national identities.
Representatives from community groups and the Church, public officials, scholars and artists of Polish and Lithuanian descendants are among the speakers invited to discuss the history of the two countries and share their experiences on Northern Ireland.
According to AICH Research Associate and symposium organiser Dr Maria Angela Ferrario, who is originally from Italy, the idea is to see how the two Baltic neighbours live out their historical differences in a new country such as Northern Ireland, how they relate to their new Northern Irish neighbours and, finally, how common traditions can go beyond existing cultural boundaries and build a sense of shared homeland.
Dr Ferrario explains that Northbound is designed to explore research on migration in Northern Ireland and provide networking opportunities for people who have come here to live, work or study. Each symposium will focus on a specific European community with France and Germany he focus for next event. The fourth and last symposium of this series will focus on the Balkan regions and is planned for spring 2008.
Dr Ferrario says the purpose of Northbound is threefold: “It aims to promote research on the culture and presence of European peoples in Northern Ireland. It aims to enhance the university’s commitment to the region and strengthen the cultural links between Northern Ireland and their respective countries.
Keynote speakers at the one day event on Friday 11th May will include Bob Collins, Chief Commissioner of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. Mr Collins had previously been Director-General of RTÉ and he is actively involved in creating greater awareness of development issues in the media; Jonas Grinevicius head of Mission of Lithuania and Aleksander Dietkow, General Consul of Poland for the UK; finally poet and writer Jerzy Jarniewicz, University of Lodz, will ‘make hope and history rhyme’ in his speech on Seamus Heaney and Polish poetry.
Other speakers will include Neringa Liubiniene, Lithuanian anthropologist and visiting fellow at the Academy; Eva Grossman founder of Glosik magazine, the first Polish magazine in Northern Ireland and Evelina Saduikyte, editor of Saloje, a leading Lithuanian magazine in Ireland.
Egidijus Arnašius and Mariusz Dabrowski, the Lithuanian and Polish Chaplain respectively, will conclude the event at the campus by telling their experiences as chaplain in Ireland and Northern Ireland. In evening there will be reception at the Guildhall with a public address by the Mayor Cllr Helen Quigley.
‘Baltic Neighbours, the Polish and Lithuanian Communities in Northern Ireland’ is open to all. Anyone interested in learning more about Poland, Lithuania and the Polish and Lithuanian way of life is welcome to come along to room MD108, Magee campus, on November 11th at 9.30 am.
Attendance is free but places must be reserved in advance. To book please contact Gemma Thornthon at G.Thornton@ulster.ac.uk; t: (++44) 028 7137578. For further information, please contact Dr Maria Ferrario at ma.ferrario@uslter.ac.uk . The programme is available http://www.arts.ulster.ac.uk/aich/nbsymposia/ .
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