This is just a sample of some of the excellent projects which were funded by Sense Over Sectarianism.

Poster Competition
Strathclyde Police Community Safety Team

This was a joint initiative between ‘E’ and ‘G’ Divisions within Strathclyde Police, which cover the east and south areas of the city and house Celtic and Rangers football stadiums.

Project involved:

• Police Officers in those areas going in to local primary schools to run short workshops which raised the issues of sectarianism, bigotry and racism
• Pupils were then invited to participate in a poster competition to design a poster which gives a positive and challenging message about these issues
• Copies of winning posters were distributed to all schools in Glasgow to raise the issues

Drama Project
St Mirin’s RC Primary and Croftfoot Primary

St Mirin’s and Croftfoot Primary schools are on the south side of the city and to date had not worked together on any project. The Head teachers were keen to develop some collaborative work that would break down the barriers between the schools and provide an opportunity for the children involved to share their experiences and develop their understanding of each other.

The project involved P7 pupils from each school working together to develop a drama around the issue of sectarianism but included:-

• Lessons developed around the issue which were delivered in both schools by the P7 teachers.
• Teachers used co-operative learning and drama to explore thoughts, feelings and attitudes.
• Classes consisted of pupils from both schools.
• An Author led a workshop with the pupils from both schools to develop writing skills.
• Pupils visited the Kings Theatre to see behind the scenes and participated in a theatre workshop.
• Other pupils within the schools were involved in the marketing of the final play and this involved producing posters, badges etc on the anti-sectarian theme.
• Teachers worked to produce a resource that could then be shared with schools across Glasgow.
• Performance of the drama was then held within the local community.

South Camlachie Group Work

South Camlachie Youth Project (SCYP) is situated directly behind Celtic park and the young people involved in the project often get caught up on match days with the crowds attending matches and have been raising questions within SCYP about the issue of sectarianism and have expressed an interest in working directly on the issue in a way that would get a positive message out to the local community.

• The project was built around a piece of graffiti art and an advert with an extensive programme of group work leading up to the development of the artwork
• Young people participated in a 2-hour group work session every week for 24 weeks in total
• During these sessions they explored their thoughts, feelings, attitudes, values and behaviour using the Glasgow United Pack
• Young people also had the opportunity to tour both football grounds and go to a football match at each ground

Camera Project
Smithycroft  Learning Community

This project brought together 20 Primary 7 pupils from denominational and non-denominational schools in the Smithycroft Learning Community area in the east end of Glasgow.

This is an area of the city that has had a long history of a sectarian divide. This was reflected in all aspects of the community. It was not unusual to find different streets inhabited solely by Catholics or Protestants. The community is undergoing dramatic change with new housing and community facilities, which gives an opportunity for young people to think about the kind of community they would now like to create saying ‘goodbye to the old and embracing the new’.

Throughout the project young people:-

• Explored their perceptions of community and what it meant to them from their different perspectives
• Interviewed parents and grandparents about their experiences of life in the community with a particular reference to their experiences of sectarianism
• Looked at the history of the area
• Used photography to explore their community and taking photographs of the good and the bad
• Worked with key people from the local churches

The project culminated in a display of knowledge at the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life & Art, where the community were invited to share in the young people’s work.

Sense over Sectarianism
Grants
 

General enquiries:
SOS Coordinator
Education Services
Wheatley House
25 Cochrane Street
Glasgow G1 1HL