Oasis Youth Project News

The Oasis Youth Project has commenced its latest project in conjunction with the Belfast Giants. Around 20 young people from 7 different nationalities are participating.

The young people met with a representives from The Giants and then enjoyed a social night together at The Odyssey Bowl. They now have some hard work ahead of them as their next task is to make a presentation to 2 members of The Giants team, explaining who they are as a community.

• Make physical activity fun, so creating a more positive image and experience of physical activity for the young people.

• Celebrate the strengths in the young people, thus developing self esteem and confidence.

• Create greater self awareness in the young people regarding their responses to difference, stereotypes and prejudice, to enhance their ability to understand and respect difference.

• Develop awareness in the young people about their what we their motivational styles and mechanisms they can use to maintain motivation beyond the programme

• Enable young people to experience a new sport on ice.

The project highlight will be on 26th March when the young people will experience a VIP day on the ice with the Giants and attend the final game of the season at The Giants home venue, The Odyssey Arena.

The project is supported by Housing Executive, Craigavon Borough Council & Unite Against Hate.

A capacity crowd filled Portadown Town Hall on Friday 17th September to watch enjoy a unique variety show which included the participation of children from new communities in Craigavon. Another highlight of the evening was a circus act performed by ‘Mr H’ from the Belfast Community Circus. For 30 minutes the audience of 260, composed mostly of ethnic families, remained spellbound as ‘Mr H’ masterfully moved through a series of routines rarely seen on a regional stage.

The core programme consisted of song, dance and drama performed by children from Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Portugal.

For weeks before the event each community developed the talents of the children & young people via workshops and practise sessions.

The dedication of facilitators was matched by the enthusiasm of the children, who were determined to put on ‘the show of their lives’. Zuzanna Baran, from Poland, presented a solo performance with her enchanting voice and was followed by a group of Portuguese children that presented a traditional dance much to the pleasure of their parents.

The children from the local Lithuanian Saturday School put on a

variety of acts which included solos, group acts and intriguing

dances. Their quality presentation was equalled by the exquisite attire carefully developed by their teachers.

For long hours over many weeks the International Drama group practised their play at the Oasis Centre perfecting their skills until the curtain opened on Friday evening. The group demonstrated a high level of confidence and delighted their family members with a flawless presentation.

At the end of the evening some of the children were in tears because the show had come to an end. However, plans are in place to involve this group of enthusiastic actors in future projects.

In order to introduce the children to local culture and music, the Portadown based group, The Zephaniah Dancers, also took part in the 2 hour programme. Their high quality performance was much appreciated by a youthful audience many of whom were inspired to dream of future opportunities.

CIP thanks the Good Relation’s Department of Craigavon Borough Council for supporting the Intercultural Childrens Community.  

The Oasis Youth Project has created a partnership with CAPS ( Craigavon Alliance of Portuguese Speaker) & SELB Youth Service in the delivery of a "Personal Development Skills Training" programme which is accredited by OCN. In total 13 young people are involved in workshops each Wednesday. The participants have completed modules on:

• Recognising strengths and weaknesses

• Improving skills for employment

• Develop the ability to make decisions

• Set personal objectives for self improvement

Those who were involved in the project concluded the activities with a residential at Corrymeela in Ballycastle.  

Members of The Oasis Youth Project recently joined together with Goal Line Youth Trust & Cabin Crew to participate in an exciting film project. A local film production company BNL, facilitated the media workshops, exploring the issues of sectarian & racist perceptions that exist within our area. The outcome of the project was the production of 2 films in which the young people acted, directed, scripted and filmed. This was an opportunity for young people from many different communities to come together in a fun and creative environment to discuss some sensitive issues. The project was delivered by PEACE III Investing In Our Futures.