National Lottery Grants for Heritage – £10,000 to £250,000
The transformed space is known as ‘The Peacemakers Museum: the journey from conflict in Derry’s Bogside’. With our support of £499,997, the interior of an existing Gasyard drum has become a community heritage museum for local residents and visitors to the area.
It tells the story of the Bogside community from 1972–2007, including the many ways its people contributed to the transition from conflict to peace.
The Peacemakers Museum includes:
- artefacts and archive footage
- recorded personal stories from 50 individuals
- installations on local landmarks including Free Derry Wall, the former Rossville flats and a replica interior of a 1970s house
- online educational materials supporting GCSE and Leaving Cert history modules
Capturing people’s perspectives
Visitors can discover the role of women and young people in moving society forward, with insights into women’s rights, trade unionism and LGBTQ+ experience, as well as culture and sport in the community.
The museum also covers the roles of three local politicians as the peace process evolved: former deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, Nobel Peace laureate John Hume, and former Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly Mitchel McLaughlin.
A space for neighbourhood tourism
The exhibition content has been guided by experts and uses the Principles for Remembering in a Public Space, which were developed by the Community Relations Council and the Heritage Fund to make sure stories told in a public space are thoughtful, inclusive and challenging.
Linda McKinney, Manager at Gasyard Development Trust, said: “The Peacemakers Museum explains and celebrates the progress made through the Good Friday Agreement and remembers the cost of the conflict to the local area and beyond. We want to offer all visitors an opportunity to engage with the exhibition and be confident that the narrative was cultivated in a holistic and sensitive way.”
Dr Paul Mullan, Director for Northern Ireland, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Our funding supports communities to tell their stories of the past and share experiences so that others can better understand their perspective.”
Gasyard Development Trust was awarded two National Lottery Heritage Fund grants totalling £499,977: an award of £250,000 for phase one in November 2019 and a phase two award of £249,977 in December 2022.
