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Project 2000

Project 2000 was WAVE Youth’s first formal attempt at using art to capture the experiences of young people and children bereaved or traumatised as a result of the “Troubles” in Northern Ireland.

The exhibition was facilitated by the Old Museum Arts Centre and opened at their premises in May 2000.

 

The exhibition contained around 20 framed pictures and a large canvas depicting some images of the children’s parents who had lost their lives during the conflict.  A glass cabinet of personal items representing special memories was also included.

The project involved 25 young people over a three month period – five of the exhibits are featured here:

  • Emma Jayne

    Emma Jayne’s father was shot dead when she was 3 years old. My painting is called “My Dad’s Toolbox” because he was a plumber – I was young but I remember his toolbox – my brother still has it and that’s how I know what it looks like – This was the first thing that came into my mind when I was asked to draw this – I can’t remember him properly because I was only three at the time.

  • Ciara

    Ciara’s daddy was shot dead when she was 5 years old. My picture is about my daddy picking flowers and just doing stuff in the garden – I drew my daddy because I love him – I remember daddy with dark hair, which was like black and brown – I like drawing but not as much as singing.

  • Zoe, 8 years old

    Zoe’s mother was killed in a bomb when she was 2 years old. My painting is of my mum – I drew it from memory – in the picture she is wearing a dress and she has brown curly hair, although she has straight hair in this picture because I don’t know how to draw curly hair – She has blue eyes and shoes that don’t have any heels on them – That’s how I remember mummy’s shoes – with no heels – They were just flat – I also drew a sunny background behind her because I like bright colours – I did this to help me remember – I never talked about what I drew.

  • Leaine

    Leaine’s daddy was shot dead when she was 3 years old. This is my daddy looking down on my family — my brother and sister and me — It’s important to know that he’s watching over me — In the picture I put white around us to make us stand out — I drew eyes for my daddy — this is a happy picture for me — It was good to do it because it brings back bad memories and good memories — I can’t talk about it — it’s easier to draw things like this.

  • Darren

    Darren describes the night gunmen broke into his home. A load of men broke into our house a couple of years ago – I was scared – I can’t really remember what they looked like but I know there was something over his face – he’s the one I noticed the most and his gun is the one I remember and that’s what I drew – I thought someone was going to get hurt – I was 5 or 6 at the time – mummy and daddy were there but they didn’t hurt them – they just left again.

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The project involved 25 young people over a three month period – five of the exhibits are featured here:

Emma Jayne

Emma Jayne’s father was shot dead when she was 3 years old. My painting is called “My Dad’s Toolbox” because he was a plumber – I was young but I remember his toolbox – my brother still has it and that’s how I know what it looks like – This was the first thing that came into my mind when I was asked to draw this – I can’t remember him properly because I was only three at the time.

Ciara

Ciara’s daddy was shot dead when she was 5 years old. My picture is about my daddy picking flowers and just doing stuff in the garden – I drew my daddy because I love him – I remember daddy with dark hair, which was like black and brown – I like drawing but not as much as singing.

Zoe, 8 years old

Zoe’s mother was killed in a bomb when she was 2 years old. My painting is of my mum – I drew it from memory – in the picture she is wearing a dress and she has brown curly hair, although she has straight hair in this picture because I don’t know how to draw curly hair – She has blue eyes and shoes that don’t have any heels on them – That’s how I remember mummy’s shoes – with no heels – They were just flat – I also drew a sunny background behind her because I like bright colours – I did this to help me remember – I never talked about what I drew.

Leaine

Leaine’s daddy was shot dead when she was 3 years old. This is my daddy looking down on my family — my brother and sister and me — It’s important to know that he’s watching over me — In the picture I put white around us to make us stand out — I drew eyes for my daddy — this is a happy picture for me — It was good to do it because it brings back bad memories and good memories — I can’t talk about it — it’s easier to draw things like this.

Darren

Darren describes the night gunmen broke into his home. A load of men broke into our house a couple of years ago – I was scared – I can’t really remember what they looked like but I know there was something over his face – he’s the one I noticed the most and his gun is the one I remember and that’s what I drew – I thought someone was going to get hurt – I was 5 or 6 at the time – mummy and daddy were there but they didn’t hurt them – they just left again.