Threads of Empowerment - Conway Education Centre

(Photo Credit - Nina Robinson)

Nina Robinson moved to Northern Ireland from Finland 7 years ago and works as a Family Support Coordinator at a local post primary school. One of the school’s teachers saw the Bank of Ideas opportunity in an emailed flyer and recommended it to Nina for the Conway Education homework club, a group for refugee and asylum-seeking children, at which Nina also works.

When Nina asked the homework club what they would like to apply for through the Bank of Ideas, one of the members suggested the fashion upcycling project as she wants to study fashion design in future.

The club had been working previously on a sustainability theme, and they wanted to do more and bring in the fashion design theme. They came up with the idea to go shopping at charity shops to find clothes to upcycle, with training and guidance from a fashion designer, followed by a professional photoshoot to showcase the outfits they made.

Nina thought that the group would not be successful, and worried that the girls would be disappointed, thinking a public vote system through Participatory Budgeting was not the best way for the group to get funding, but they were very excited.

On the voting day, four of the girls and one of the mothers were on duty at the stall, and Nina was there for some of the day. The girls had pictures of their designs, and colouring sheets for voters to make their own designs. They also had artists’ models with miniature versions of their fashion designs, and they spent all day talking to voters as they passed by.

“They loved it, and enjoyed talking to everyone. The process was a great way of demonstrating that they could work for things, make an effort and achieve things for themselves instead of us applying for projects for them.

“We are a very West Belfast based group,” said Nina, “So it was good to get our to City Hall. It was the first time being in City Hall for some of the girls and women. It was a great day to showcase so many things happening in Belfast.”

When the group won it was a bit of a surprise to them all.

“All of the stalls were very professional,” said Nina. “And we worried about the online voting because most of the girls’ families weren't able to get online to support the project, but when we got the news that we had won, the girls were delighted. They had such a sense of achievement. That part of the process maybe had as big of an impact as the project itself. The funding was not just something we did for them, they did it.”

In the first workshop we were teaching the girls to sew. Two of the mothers who could sew came along to help, and we had one volunteer from the homework club.  That was a nice way to engage the mothers as well in mid august. Then  we had workshops with a professional fashion designer after that, Mary-Rose McGrath in her design studio in Conway Mill.

Nina said: “The girls all have duties at home so we needed to be flexible and understanding that sometimes they wouldn’t be able to attend. We knew it was going to be tricky to make it happen, but that’s the nature of the work.”

In August, anti-immigrant riots were erupting across Belfast. Some girls were kept home due to the danger of intimidation and violence on their way to the Mill and missed part of the project as a result. The girls also couldn’t go to charity shops in the middle of that, so they couldn’t get the second hand clothes to upcycle and instead got some fabric to make pyjamas.

“It was a stressful time. The girls had concerns in august about getting to the mill. Once the girls arrive though, they feel safe here and in this area.”

The girls were learning how to cut material and sew it together in an old mill where a century ago, Belfast girls just like them were weaving linen. Nina said at the beginning they were hesitant in the photo shoots but then they relaxed and had a great fun time, with the photographer Molly Martin.

“One girl has attended all the workshops and the photo shoot was especially fun for her. She was really going for it and came up with great ideas for the photos. We had a budget for pizzas on the photo shoot day, and it was nice to have money to have a really nice day and celebrate with them. Now as a result of the project the girls are more confident about talking to the public. That’s one of the biggest achievements, and we really saw them come out of themselves in the photoshoot.”

A few years ago, the Conway Education Group bought sewing machines for the homework club and the girls are hoping to use them more in future.

“The girls I think will definitely make their own unique clothes in future and are more equipped for it now.”