Community Festival to Feature Impressive Array of Local Stars

Posted on 15 March, 2011 by admin

PRESS RELEASE

Community Festival to Feature Impressive Array of Local Stars

– Ballymun Youth Action Project to mark 30th anniversary with free festival –

A free community festival will take place at the plaza in Ballymun on Saturday, 26th March, from 12 noon to 3pm. The festival is being organised by Ballymun Youth Action Project (BYAP) as part of a programme of events to mark its 30th anniversary.

BYAP – which is Ireland’s longest-running community-based response to drugs – was founded by local people in 1981 after three young people from Ballymun had died from drugs-related causes. Over the past three decades, the Project has worked to tackle substance misuse in Ballymun and surrounding areas.

The community festival taking place on 26th March will feature an impressive array of performers with links to the local area. Christy Dignam and Joe Jewell from Aslan will play a special set as headliners of the event. Other performers will include local singer / songwriters Garry O’Brien and Niall O’Shea; samba band Munch; and Irish trad act, the Bold Fenian Men.

Speaking ahead of the event, Dermot King, Director of BYAP, said: “We have a great line-up for the event, featuring both well-established artists and up-and-coming local Ballymun acts. We wanted the programme to showcase the wealth of musical talent in Ballymun and surrounding areas.

“In addition to members of Aslan, the Bold Fenian Men, and established singer-songwriters, we also have a number of acts taking part that are involved in the Ballymun Regional Youth Resource Music Club, including Coldstone, Sappy and That’s What She Said. Some of these will be performing for the first time, so the festival will offer visitors an opportunity to hear new sounds from Ballymun and sample a range of different musical experiences.

“We want the event to be a day of celebration for everyone, and we hope that large numbers of people from the local community will join us for a day of music, stand-up comedy and fun. This is a free event, and there should be something there to appeal to all ages.”

In addition to music performances, the community festival will feature stand-up comedy from local comedians Dean Scurry and Eric Lalor. There will also be children’s entertainment on offer, including free face-painting.

The full line-up for the festival is as follows:

Christy Dignam and Joe Jewell from Aslan.
Singer / songwriters Garry O’Brien, Niall O’Shea and Ciaran Moran.
Street Literature, DeXtra, and Sappy.
Stand-up comedians Dean Scurry and Eric Lalor.
That’s What She Said, Coldstone and Dean Doonan (Must Try DnD).
Samba band Munch.
Johnny Boy & Jambo.
Trad music from the Bold Fenian Men.

Other events organised by BYAP to mark the Project’s 30th anniversary include the ‘BYAP 30 Years’ art exhibition, which is running in the Horizons Centre on Balcurris Road until 26th March. The exhibition was curated by acclaimed artists Guggi and John Duffy, and features work from Ballymun artists and past and present BYAP clients. Opening hours are 2-5pm, Monday to Friday, and admission is free of charge. The exhibition will open late next Thursday, 24th March – from 7 to 9pm. It will be open on Saturday, 26th March, from 3 to 5pm.

A national conference on substance misuse is also taking place next week as part of BYAP’s 30th anniversary events. This will take place on Wednesday, 23rd March, in Dublin Castle.

ENDS

Contact: Noomi Egan, DHR Communications, Tel: 01-4806261 / 087-7449915

Start of our Anniversary Programme of Events

Posted on 14 March, 2011 by admin

Our 30th anniversary programme of events kicked off last Friday (11th March), when President McAleese made a special visit to our presmises at the Horizons Centre on Balcurris Road. We were delighted to welcome the President back to the Centre for her second visit to BYAP.

This time round, President McAleese helped to plant a rose-bush in our courtyard to commemorate those with links to BYAP who have died over the past 30 years. She also visited our ‘BYAP 30 Years’ art exhibition, and made an excellent address to those present at the opening event.

President McAleese is presented with a bouquet of flowers by Owen O’Grady during her visit to BYAP

In addition to President McAleese’s visit, the official opening of the ‘BYAP 30 Years’ art exhibition also took place on Friday. This was attended by the curators, Guggi and John Duffy, and by many of the artists whose work is featured in the exhibition.

John Duffy and Guggi pictured at the exhibition opening event

John Duffy and Guggi pose beside ‘My Man Bob’ by Christy, a BYAP client

Additional photographs from President McAleese’s visit and the art exhibition opening can be viewed here.

30th Anniversary of Ireland’s Longest-Running Community Drugs Project

Posted on 10 March, 2011 by admin

PRESS RELEASE

30th Anniversary of Ireland’s Longest-Running Community Drugs Project

– Ballymun Youth Action Project Announces Anniversary Programme of Events –

Ireland’s longest-running community drugs project today (10.03.11) announced a programme of events to mark its 30th year. A major national conference on substance misuse; an innovative art exhibition; and a community festival are amongst the activities being organised by the Ballymun Youth Action Project (BYAP) over the coming weeks.

BYAP was founded by local people in 1981 after three young people from Ballymun had died from drugs-related causes. Over the past 30 years, the Project has offered a community-based response to drug and alcohol misuse.

According to Dermot King, Director of the organisation, BYAP’s anniversary programme of events has been organised to highlight the important work done by local communities in battling substance misuse.

“Ballymun Youth Action Project was founded at a time when heroin had begun to ravage entire communities, and Ireland was in the midst of a crippling recession,” said Mr. King. “We were the first project of our kind in Ireland: founded by members of the local community to deal directly with local problems caused by drug and alcohol misuse.

“Over the years, we’ve seen the nature of addiction issues change and new issues have emerged as time has passed. Because we’re grounded in the local community, we’re able to respond quickly to changing issues and reach out to people who may be wary of accessing support.

“We offer services to all ages, and we do outreach work in schools and prisons. In addition to helping drug users, we also provide support services for their families, and we do lots of preventative and education-focused work.”

The anniversary programme of events announced today by BYAP includes:

A rose-planting ceremony commemorating those with links to the Project who have died over the past 30 years.
A visit by President Mary McAleese to BYAP’s premises on Friday, 11th March, at 2.30pm.
A major national conference on substance misuse, taking place in Dublin Castle on Wednesday, 23rd March, and featuring inputs from John Lonergan, former Governor of Mountjoy prison; Professor Joe Barry, Head of the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at Trinity College Dublin; and Dr. Mary Ellen McCann, Vice-Chairperson of the National Advisory Committee on Drugs.
‘BYAP 30 Years’: an exhibition curated by acclaimed artists Guggi and Ballymun local John Duffy, featuring work by artists with links to Ballymun, including Rita Cahill, Bob Dixon, Stuart Dowie, Mick Gerrighty, Fiona Ginnell, Paddy Kavanagh, Cecilia Moore, Maria Place, Edith Poole, Frank Scalzo, Dean Scurry, the late Tom Shannon, Ray Sherlock, Stano and Long Weng. The exhibition will run from Friday 11th March until Saturday, 26th March at the Horizons Centre, Balcurris Road, Ballymun. Artwork produced by BYAP clients over the past 30 years will also be on display.
A community festival at the plaza in Ballymun on Saturday, 26th March, featuring an exciting line-up of musicians and stand-up comedians, including local singer-songwriters Garry O’Brien, Niall O’Shea and Ciaran Moran; Munch (Ballymun samba band); DeXtra; and other local rappers and musicians.
The unveiling of a major public art project, specially commissioned to mark the 30th anniversary of BYAP, and developed in recent weeks by artist John Duffy working with BYAP clients. This project was facilitated by axis Ballymun and will be unveiled at BYAP’s premises on Friday, 11th March, at 2.30pm. It will be on display until 25th March as part of the ‘BYAP 30 Years’ art exhibition.

“We’re hoping our 30th anniversary programme of events will highlight the important work done not only by BYAP, but by community groups throughout Ireland, in tackling drug and alcohol addiction,” said Dermot King. “All the events we’re organising are open to the public, free of charge, and anyone is welcome to visit our centre over the coming weeks, to view the exhibition and public art project, or come along to the community festival at the end of the month.”

ENDS

Contact: Dermot Ryan / Martina Quinn, DHR Communications, Tel: 01-4885808 / 086-6002306 / 087-6522033