New Voices: Transforming Trauma and Conflict in Northern Ireland with the Arts

Abstract

A quarter of a century on from the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, evidence of residual tension and division along community lines in Northern Ireland remains. Northern Ireland also exhibits elevated rates of mental illness and trauma, particularly stemming from the Troubles, and spans across generations in the form of transgenerational trauma. Still, a thriving arts scene with active public engagement is a key feature of Northern Irish culture. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that peacebuilding and trauma recovery initiatives incorporating artistic approaches would be well-received. This study examined the potential for creative therapeutic interventions to promote conflict transformation and trauma healing in Northern Ireland. A review of the existing scholarship further elucidated the nature of conflict and trauma in Northern Ireland. Additionally, an understanding of artistic therapeutic approaches, such as dramatherapy, was established. Using an interpretivist, qualitative approach, this author interviewed five theatre makers and dramatherapists in Northern Ireland and then conducted a thematic analysis of the interviews. The findings suggest several mechanisms by which therapeutic art-making could assist in trauma healing and transforming conflict, including distancing, creating narrative, connecting through shared experiences, and validation while also offering significant cautions, insights, and recommendations for successful implementation. Further research to advance understanding of this dynamic is recommended.