This collaboration between the Queen’s University and the Ulster Museum focuses on the connection between conflict and creativity and evaluates the potential of the museum’s Troubles and Beyond collection in fostering creative thinking skills for young people aged 11-14 from across different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds from non- integrated schools. It seeks to address the gap in understanding around how museum education can be designed to influence the development of the skills that are likely to lead to greater levels of social cohesion and peacebuilding. 

Research activity will include the implementation of a pilot study in communities linked to the ‘Innovation Zones’, which will be evaluated to assess its effectiveness in developing creative skills and open-mindedness in the young participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. The findings of the research will contribute to the development of the Ulster Museum’s Troubles-related education programmes. Ultimately, the theoretical and practical learning from this research could have an international impact on how museums in areas of conflict, or post-conflict can harness the potential of their collections to have a positive impact on children and young people. 

This project is jointly supervised by Dr Liam O’Hare (Director Innovation Zones, Queen’s University Belfast) and Jenny Haslett (Education Manager, National Museums NI).