Lurgan Community Arts Group providing a safe space for everyone to feel included and get creative

A Lurgan Community Arts Group provides a space for those interested in the creative world to make new friends and have fun.

Building Bridges Community Arts is a cross-community theater group in the heart of Lurgan and is proud to be dedicated to inclusive work with its community through the arts.

Based on Market Street, the group welcomed new people through their doors and worked for upcoming shows.

Speaking to Belfast Live, Building Bridges founder Simon Hylands said they were proud of what they had accomplished.

He said: “During the year we organize a musical, a junior musical, a panto-play concert and we also give a lot of theater lessons for children and young people.

“Through Comic Relief, we found an LGBTQ + awareness project, so we worked with members of the LGBTQ + community for workshops. We also have a drop-in center every Friday.

“There’s a lot going on and it’s a really inclusive space. We have found that a lot of people coming here are related to churches or to a particular side of the community and every time I have started this I have found that there was not really an inclusive space where everyone could come and feel comfortable.

“That’s what we’ve provided here and that’s why it’s so well supported and we’ve been really lucky to find a neutral space here for our studio.”

Jordon Ewart attends Building Bridges every week and has said it was the first of its kind that she had met.

And Jordan encourages those interested in the arts to get in touch.

“It’s the first thing I heard about in the city itself,” she added.

“I think the important thing is that it’s very central. It’s not something that is based on either side of town or in a particular area. There is no fear. for the people who come here It’s central and it’s a community Everyone and everyone is welcome.

Clare Costa said she has made lifelong best friends since joining Building Bridges.

Hailing the support of the adults in the group, Clare said they were role models for her and her peers.

“I made some of my best friends here at Building Bridges. Not just the other kids here, but the adults as well.

“They were like role models and I really enjoyed that.”

Building Bridges is currently working on a new show, Rapunzel: The Forty-something Princess.

The pantomime show will take place on the first two weekends of December.

For more information on their shows or how to get involved, please follow this link.

Video from Belfast Live videographer Harry Bateman.