RÓISÍN BÁN: THE IRISH IN LEEDS

international | arts and media | press release Wednesday February 22, 2006 11:03 by Róisín Bán ant at lihh dot org

NEW CULTURAL ARTS PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS ONE OF BRITAIN’S LEAST VISIBLE MINORITIES

Róisín Bán consists of a book and exhibition documenting the Irish in Leeds – about 80% of whom came from the same area around Ballina in County Mayo during the second and third waves of Irish emigration between the 1930s and 1980s. It was commissioned by Leeds Irish Health & Homes and produced by Yorkshire photographer, Corinne Silva.

1. Women's under 14 gaelic Football, Knock More County Mayo Ireland © Corinne Silva, 2005

Whilst the media in Britain is dominated by coverage of other ethnic minorities, a new project that launches in Leeds next month will raise awareness of one of the country’s least visible but longest-standing communities, the Irish.

Róisín Bán consists of a book and exhibition documenting the Irish in Leeds – about 80% of whom came from the same area around Ballina in County Mayo during the second and third waves of Irish emigration between the 1930s and 1980s. It was commissioned by Leeds Irish Health & Homes and produced by Yorkshire photographer, Corinne Silva.

Leeds Irish Health & Homes (LIHH) is a voluntary organisation supporting the Leeds Irish community, which totals around 20,000 people. In Leeds as elsewhere, the Irish minority attracts little of the recognition afforded to other ethnic groups, although research shows that it is disproportionately affected by problems such as poor living conditions, homelessness, unemployment, low pay and health inequalities.

Director of LIHH, Anthony Hanlon, says, “Róisín Bán is an important documentary record of Irish society in Britain, at a time when our community has largely faded from the public gaze. For us there are interesting parallels between the past struggles and discrimination faced by the Irish in Britain, and those of other groups who are now in the media spotlight, such as the Muslim, asylum-seeking and refugee communities.”

Corinne Silva’s work illustrates three generations of experience: the stories of people who have fought hard for a place for themselves and their children. Through a series of interviews plus portrait and documentary images, her work illustrates the lives of people both in Leeds and as returned emigrants in Mayo. The project acknowledges the contribution which the community has made to Leeds and celebrates its strength - whilst at the same time exploring its difficulties.

Corinne says, “For centuries, the socio-economic and political relationships between Ireland and Britain have impacted on our society. Róisín Bán is an important record of one Irish community’s experience of Britain today. It captures a certain place in time -both present-day Leeds and the memories held by many of an Ireland to which they may never return.”

The Róisín Bán (pron. Rosheen Bawn) exhibition opens at Whitehall Waterfront, Leeds, LS1 4EH, on March 3 2006 (open Wednesdays to Sundays to 26th March, 12pm-7pm).

The project is supported by a Home Office ‘Connecting Communities’ grant, plus the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Ireland Fund of Great Britain.