In December 2010, HTR received $10,000 in funding from US-based International Coalition for Sites of Conscience (SOC) towards the overall cost of a new project called “Everyday Objects Transformed By Conflict”.  HTR also received £500 from Bombardier Aerospace (NI) Foundation and £1,000 from the Good Relations Unit for costs related to the same project.

The “Everyday Objects Transformed By Conflict” project is initiated by the Living Memorial Museum (LMM) Sub Group and it builds on a five day study visit made to Berlin in March 2010 by members of the LMM Sub Group, which was also funded by the SOC.

The project aims to pilot a way of staging multiple-perspective events and exhibitions which can assist communities in building better understanding of the conflict and the past.  It also seeks, through educational and interactive exhibits designed by communities themselves, to build an understanding of different cultures and communities.
The project has its origins in HTR’s 2008 ‘Audit of Artefacts’ report, an audit of the material culture of the conflict in and about Northern Ireland, and includes a wide range of artefacts, collections (from small private collectors to large public museums), and community backgrounds.  Also available at HTR’s website is an online database of artefacts which was made available the result of the audit.
Participating collections in the exhibition will be invited to lend one item from their collection to the pilot exhibition. The contributing collectors will include the curators of small, community-based collections as well as curators from other larger and more public collections. Working with the Living Memorial Museum (LMM) Sub Group, will identify the process by which it will be possible to stage a shared exhibition on everyday objects transformed by conflict.  It is hoped that the exhibition will launch in Autumn 2011.

Within this project, HTR seeks to support organised visits to the exhibition as well as workshops for schools, colleges, community groups and other interested parties, providing background information and topics for consideration for those who attend.  Further displays and events planned around “Everyday Objects Transformed By Conflict” are planned for the period after the initial exhibition and into 2012.