Governance

EVENTS: Performing Identities: Brexit and Northern Ireland

We are very excited to share that PI will be hosting a two-part event in June on the theme of Brexit and Northern Ireland.

Performing Identities: Brexit and Northern Ireland – Part 1

Wednesday 23rd June 2021 – 12.30-1.30pm (Online)

In this lunchtime seminar, PI team members will present key findings from the extensive catalogue of work completed as part of the ESRC-funded ‘Performing Identities’ project, as well as analysis of research that will be publicly shared for the first time.

This session will include work on citizenship and rights, multilevel governance, archival research and key findings from a series of interviews conducted as part of the project exploring identity and Brexit in Northern Ireland. The event will conclude with a Q&A.

Registration is now live and available here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/performing-identities-brexit-and-northern-ireland-part-1-tickets-156666797609

The second event will take place the following day (Thursday 24th June) at 1pm – further details and registration information for this will be released soon. Keep an eye on the website and our Twitter account for further updates.

Performing Identities: Brexit and Northern Ireland – Part 2 (Identity)

Thursday 24th June 2021 – 1pm-2.15pm (Online)

Building on themes that emerged through interviews the PI team completed with individuals across Northern Ireland in 2019 and 2020, this event will bring together a range of perspectives and expertise to discuss the complexity and nuances of identity in Northern Ireland.

Panel members are:

– Emma DeSouza (Rights Campaigner; Writer)

– Mark Devenport (Former Political Editor, BBC NI)

– Linda Ervine MBE (Director, Turas; President, East Belfast GAA)

– Susan McKay (Journalist; Author of ‘Northern Protestants: On Shifting Ground’ – available to purchase here)

– John O’Doherty (Director, The Rainbow Project)

– Danielle Roberts (Women’s Rights Activist)

Chair: Dr. Clare Rice (Newcastle University)

Registration is available here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/performing-identities-brexit-and-northern-ireland-part-2-identity-tickets-157819633773

PI Panel at UACES 2020

The Performing Identities will (virtually) come together on Monday 7th September to lead a panel discussion at the UACES Virtual Conference 2020.

Initially planned to be happening in Belfast, the full conference has now moved to an online platform in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

We have planned a panel on the theme of Brexit and Northern Ireland, in which each member will outline some key aspects of the work being done within the Performing Identities project.

This will include the presentation of initial findings from interview-based research in Northern Ireland, and overviews of several forthcoming papers not yet in the public domain.

Central to our plans for the session is to provide a forum for informal discussion – on the work of the team, but also more generally on the topics being covered.

As a ‘non-traditional panel’ at the UACES conference, we had ambitious plans for this session in Belfast. While now proceeding in a virtual format, this remains a session not to be missed for anyone interested in Brexit and its impact in Northern Ireland!

Unfortunately, this panel is only open to registered participants of the conference, but we will be tweeting updates on the day from our account – @performidentity


Further details on the panel can be found here: https://www.conftool.org/uaces2020/index.php?page=browseSessions&form_session=180

Blog: Northern Ireland’s ‘New Approach’ in a Decade of Uncertainty

What has changed since the 2019 General Election, and what does Brexit mean for the new deal that has been reached in Northern Ireland?

PI team member, Clare Rice, considers these questions in a new article published on the DCU Brexit Institute blog – available to read here: http://dcubrexitinstitute.eu/2020/01/northern-irelands-new-approach-in-a-decade-of-uncertainty/

Briefing Paper: The ‘New Decade, New Approach’ deal in Northern Ireland – Governance and Identity

In January 2017, the deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, tendered his resignation from the Northern Ireland Executive, citing issues around equality, trust and abuse of power on the part of the Democratic Unionist Party.

Following 3 years of institutional hiatus, during which civil servants assuming greater responsibilities ultimately prevented a return to direct rule, talks between the 5 main political parties, with a focus on negotiations between Sinn Féin and the DUP, recommenced following the Westminster General Election in December 2019. With the support of the Irish and UK Governments throughout the process, and a commitment to this being maintained thereafter, the text of an agreed document named ‘New Decade, New Approach’ was released to the general public on 9th January 2020.

This briefing presents an overview of the agreement reached and examines key aspects of its content, focusing on the elements addressing governance and identity.

The full paper is available to download below:

NDNA Briefing PaperDownload