The 4 Corners Project
Participants of the 4 Corners Exchange Programme celebrating Halloween night
at Trabolgan Leisure Centre near Cork.
4 Corners Exchange Cork Visit
Over the past two years 40 young people from Swansea, Llanrwst in North Wales, Cork in the Republic of Ireland and Newton Ads in Northern Ireland have taken part in the unique 4 Corners Cultural Exchange Project. the young people from Swansea have been part of an unique exchange programme between the 4 Corners of Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland. At the end of October this year, following visits to Belfast, North Wales Swansea previously – 6 young people from Swansea including 2 volunteers and workers representing the City and County of Swansea and Menter Iaith Abertawe travelled together across the Irish Sea on a boat to Rosslare, and following a further minibus journey reached Cork. Over the five days that the young people stayed at Trabolgan by Cork – they participated in a host of activities with their friends from different areas of the exchange programme. The activities included – lasertag and a version of netball on a trampoline called aeroball as well as team building activities and swimming at the leisure resort also. We went out of the camp with our Welsh, Irish and Northern Ireland friends during the exchange – we also visited a historical prison in Cork town which illustrated some of Cork’s nineteenth century history, we saw a band perform and were treated to some traditional Irish stew at the Cork Youth Centre also. The young people were also challenged to play the traditional Irish sport of hurling at the successful Irish club in the city which is home to over 30 all Irish Games championship victories. The visit also tied the previous visits together as well through opportunities to visit the place where the Titanic boat last set sail from in 1911. During their visit to Belfast the young people saw where the boat left from and in the museum in Cobn near Cork they saw the history of some of the travellers on board the Titanic as it collected people on its last journey across the Atlantic. As it was also Halloween during the visit during our visit we had a colourful fancy dress party with sophisticated dancing part of the evening also.
The participants of the 4 Corners Exchange Programme on the stairs of the Prison in Cork, Ireland which is now a museum for the public.
Mural
During the visit- the young people formed creative designs on large scale murals that will be placed in the youth club in Cork. On the creative and colourful murals was an overview of the young people’s experiences thus far which included visits to the senate and climbing in Belfast, canoeing and abseiling in Swansea as well as all the experiences during the visit to Cork. Sophie Skyrme, a pupil at Ysgol Gyfun Gŵyr mentioned the journey had been an excellent opportunity to raise self-confidence, to speak with and make friends with young people from different regions of Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland- and this, according to Sophie was one of the best things about the project. Would she do the exchange again? Definitely. Sophie said ‘ the project has run over 2 years and in that time it has definitely been worth it because of what we’ve had out of it.’ Sophie and Emma Skyrme, Stevie Reed and the volunteer Cerys Davies were part of the team of Welsh Speakers that headed to Cork - an experience that has been described by the young people as ‘transformative.’ Sophie said ‘I don`t think I would be as I am now if it weren`t for this project.’ Tears were lost on the last day of the visit but these were tears of joy as well as tears of sadness for an emotional journey that has undoubtedly formulated the futures of these young people in a positive way for years to come.
Over the past year forty young people from Swansea, Llanrwst in North Wales, Cork in the Republic of Ireland and Newton Ads in Northern Ireland have taken part in the 4 Corners Cultural Exchange Project. Menter Iaith Abertawe has been working on the project with Swansea Youth Service after securing funding from the British Council.
The young people have already visited Northern Ireland and North Wales, and are visiting Swansea in July. They will have a chance to visit The Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells, The Welsh Folk Museum in Saint Fagan, Cardiff Bay and have a chance to partake in numerous outdoor pursuits activities in the Gower. The Swansea team visited the Urdd National Eisteddfod which was in Swansea back in July, in preparation to welcome their Celtic friends.
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