Nerve Centre
Nerve Centre is a creative media arts centre based in Derry/Londonderry. Thousand of stakeholders benefit annually from their wide ranging programme of art events, cutting edge projects, creative learning, training opportunities and community relations activities.
Bottom line
Nerve Centre shows that technology can be a powerful peacebuilding tool. In a society in which reminders of the past are so frequent and prevalent, technology can be a neutral space because it is inherently future facing. It is a great levelling device that can be used to build and grow communication and collaboration.
Why it matters?
Projects ranging from film and music making to a FabLab provide young people from different communities the opportunity to come together and work collaboratively. The centre provides the opportunity for immersive technology learning processes, as well as the purpose of creating something.
The FabLab is somewhere that citizens from different sides of the community can come together, By using shared projects to unite citizens, a sense of co-ownership can emerge and flourish.
- Nerve Centre opened a second fablab in October 2016 in Shantallow- called Fab:Social. The importance of this second fablab is that it reaches out into a new community, as well as providing access to technological equipment and skills.
Between the lines
There is often little neutral ground in societies that have a history of conflict and division. Tiny indicators can spell out one’s background or heritage, be it the football team you support or the part of the city that you live in. Nerve Centre is somewhere that was born out of this uncertainty and adversity. Through its programmes they help provide a neutral ground for dialogue and discourse. Derry/Londonderry is a small city, and the centre is very close to its local community, client groups and beneficiary groups. There exists high levels of accountability, as well as a constant dialogue between the centre and their stakeholders. This provides an agency for citizens to feel they have a voice and an opportunity to shape decisions at a local level.
Go Deeper
- BBC History page – Northern Ireland: The Troubles
- Nerve Centre’s home page
- What is FabLab? FabLab Foundation Homepage
- Nerve Centre’s Fab:Social Programme
- Nerve Centre’s FabFarm Programme
- Nerve Centre’s Teaching Divided Histories page