Belfast Community Circus

When I first came to Belfast five years ago to take on the task of Director of the Belfast Community Circus it was at a time of an uneasy peace, but essentially it was peace. In the years since then, I have seen the apparent miracle of the Good Friday Agreement being endorsed by the overwhelming majority of the population of Northern Ireland and I have shared in the taste of hope and belief in the future.

I have seen the skyline of the city of Belfast transformed as massive investment in infrastructure has taken place following the Agreement. I have seen communities coming together for the first time in decades to plan a prosperous future. I have seen Northern Ireland get its own democratic government for the first time in over a generation. I have even met our Minister for Culture and the Arts as he acknowledged the pioneering role of the Belfast Community Circus working with marginalized and disturbed young people.

Training pyramid for Circus of Wonders

Then, suddenly this year, it seems as if I must have been dreaming all along. I have heard pipe bombs going off a hundred yards from my daughter's school - one of hundreds of devices aimed at people's homes over the last nine months. I have seen rioting night after night, month after month just a few hundred yards from my home in North Belfast. My four year-old daughter has seen troops out on the streets and asked who they are going to kill. I have seen the 'controlled' explosion of a hijacked truck from my living-room window. I have seen the First Minister resign, the Executive be suspended and Direct Rule being imposed twice in the space of a few months. I have seen the terrible scenes at Holy Cross School and I have heard the helicopters circle over incessantly night and day on an endless vigil for trouble. I have heard the situation in North Belfast being described as the worst in twenty years. And I have seen hope beginning to fade.

Flora Herberich and Timmy Hannington in an acro balance pose

Why it changed for the worse is not known, but there are many theories. Some blame it on the politicians. Some say it's Dublin's fault while others lay the blame on London. Many people point to the fact that it has all happened since the Peace and Reconciliation money from Europe dried up last year.

For me, I don't know why it happened-I mean I've only been here five years. What I do know is that these riots, this renewed violence, this erosion of order and ascendancy of chaos means that there will be more damaged young people out there, who will have been traumatized by the recent trouble, or excited by it.

So, what does the future hold for us here in Northern Ireland? On one level, there will be lots of work for the Belfast Community Circus and other groups who are working to heal wounds and to create a better future. There are still tremendous opportunities for lasting peace, an idea cherished by the great majority of people in Northern Ireland. One of the keys to lasting peace lies with groups, like us, working on the ground. Continued Ireland Funds' support has never been more vital.

Belfast Community Circus website