The Balor Arts Centre, Ballybofey, and the Alley Theatre, Strabane concluded their successful “Crossing Bridges Summer Drama Camp” this week, supported by the International Fund for Ireland (IFI), with a dramatic presentation in front of leading arts and council figures from across the North West. The “Crossing Bridges Summer Drama Camp” has enabled young people, aged between 11-18, from Donegal and Tyrone, to come together and learn new skills within the two new regional theatres, the Balor Arts Centre, Ballybofey and Strabane’s Alley Theatre. Throughout the drama camp participants spent 4 weeks within each venue, learning new theatrical skills, developing stage confidence and learning how to write scripts for the stage. At the end of the scheme the participants performed to packed houses in both venues with rapacious applause greeting the actors on stage, a fitting tribute for all of the hard work the students had put into the productions. The successful cross border summer drama camp has now been hailed as “one of the finest examples of peace and reconciliation schemes operating within the North West for young people”, and has been instrumental in helping the participants learn new skills and build life long new friendships with other young people from different backgrounds. Speaking at the Balor Arts Centre, Ann Bonner, International Fund for Ireland, said: "I am delighted to be here representing the International Fund for Ireland at the official closing of the Crossing Bridges Programme.  The theme of peace and reconciliation which is the focus of Crossing Bridges is central  to the International Fund for Ireland's core value of what we call “sharing  this space”. Since it was established, the Fund has committed more than €850 million to a wide variety of projects in Northern Ireland and the border counties, including a significant number here in Donegal and of course in Tyrone as well." She continued: "This type of project has been something of a new departure for the International Fund so I am delighted to hear that 40 young people  participated in workshops and that almost 400 people have viewed the performances. I would like to pay tribute to the work of John Kerr, Jim Holohan and Lisa Finn for organising and delivering the programme." The Chairman of Strabane District Council, Jarlath McNulty stated “The Crossing Bridges Summer Camp has been a great success for the participants working within Balor Arts Centre and the Alley Theatre and I would like to thank the IFI for their wonderful support on this project. Tackling peace and reconciliation through a drama scheme has been a fun, innovative and thought provoking process, which I know will leave a long lasting legacy within the hearts and minds of those who participated within the scheme and those who watched the two superb performances.” In his closing remarks, the Mayor of Donegal County Council, Clr. Gerry Crawford acknowledged the very important role undertaken by Donegal Council with their ongoing commitment towards supporting a range of Cultural Services activity throughout the County “The Arts are an ideal area through which youth in particular can engage in areas of common interest regardless of their background or culture and initiatives such as this Cross Border Arts Project are very important in continuing to develop relationships between people and areas that have, for various reasons, become disjointed and separated over time. The Council is very happy through its Strategic Partnership Fund, which is allocated on an annual basis, to be associated with the Balor Theatre and the Balor Arts Initiative and we would like to wish the Theatre and the projects that it supports every success in its ongoing work”

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