Pride Over Prejudice returns this February
The PI announces Pride over Prejudice, a new youth arts project tackling sectarianism in Glasgow.
After a successful pilot in 2021/22, we are delighted to announce the return of Pride over Prejudice, a year long youth arts project exploring and challenging sectarianism, racism and bigotry and culminating in a community performance event.
During the course of POP 2024, The PI’s community arts team will work with young people aged 9-16, in weekly workshop groups across five areas of Glasgow; Ibrox, Parkhead, Govan, Toryglen and Maryhill. The 90 min sessions each week will be led by a range of arts tutors from drama, visual arts, dance and multimedia, with the core aim being to use the arts to explore and challenge sectarianism and to celebrate difference and cultural diversity.
The groups are:
POP Parkhead - Tuesdays 5.30pm - Parkhead Youth Project
POP Toryglen - Tuesdays 7.30pm - Toryglen Community Hall
POP Govan/Ibrox - Thursdays 7pm - The PI
POP Maryhill - Thursdays 6.30pm - Maryhill Hub
These groups are free and open to all young people aged 9-16 living in Glasgow!
The aims of Pride over Prejudice are
Using the arts to explore and challenge sectarianism, racism and bigotry
Gaining a tolerance and understanding of those different to themselves
Improving physical, mental and emotional wellbeing
Becoming better connected with the wider community
Developing confidence, imagination and life skills
Brendon McIlroy, the Project Director says, ‘Our pilot year of POP was a resounding success in every measurable way and its safe to say we achieved a lot and reached a large number of young people. We thought it would be a shame to not to find a way for the project to continue and fortunatelly our funders National Lottery Communites Fund felt the same. Sectarianism is an issue that isn’t going anywhere in Glasgow and projects like this are needed more than ever’
In POP’s five target areas, the project is seeking to engage community groups, schools and youth clubs, as well as Celtic and Rangers Football Clubs.
Brendon says, ‘This time around we’ll be working with multiple partners, looking not only at the issue of sectatarianism, but the wider issue of hate and intolerance, including homophobia, transphobia and relgious intolerance. These were issues which our young people tackled maturely and vigorously during the process previously. We think its important for our participants to engage in work which directly affects them’
The project was initially developed subsequent to a series of sectarian incidents in Glasgow, namely the Govan Riots in 2019, where mounted officers, a force helicopter and dog units were used to help quell “significant disorder” in the form of sectarian fuelled riots on Govan Road. The First Minister at the time, Nicola Sturgeon, condemned the disorder. She tweeted: “What happened in Govan last night was utterly unacceptable.”
She added: “Peaceful protest is a part of our democracy – violent and sectarian disruption is not.”
Brendon concludes, ‘Our project is very much a non-didactic, early intervention where we will use the arts to combat sectarianism, racism, territorialism and all forms of division in society. We strongly believe that we can hit the ground running and deliver an innovative, accessible and impactful long term project that educational and impactful and ultimately a lot of fun for all involved.
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For more information on Pride Over Prejudice or to reserve a free place- email The PI’s Education Coordinator stephanie.falls@pearceinstitute.org.uk
