Ballymena Guardian - News - Olympic spirit!

News

Olympic spirit!

Thursday, 5 January 2012

HUNDREDS of Ballymena schoolchildren are taking part in an international 'mural' project which will have pride of place at this year's Olympic Games in London.
The 'Hands Across the World' mural is set to be displayed at several high profile venues before taking centre stage in an exhibition just before the Games start this summer.
“This project puts Ballymena on the map in no uncertain terms," one source close to the initiative told the Guardian.
“The Olympic Games will have a worldwide audience of billions people so for the Borough to be involved in such a high profile way is very exciting.
“It's the sort of positive publicity that money just cannot buy."
Pupils from nine post-primary schools in the Borough under the umbrella of 'Ballymena Learning Together' are taking part, with the main mural making activity taking place at the Braid in March.
The initiative is the brainchild of the Creative Peace Mural Society, a Ballymena based body that produced a Millennium mural 12 years ago.
It was so successful that it was rolled out around the world, with the aim of using creative murals to promote mutual tolerance and understanding.
The society's team will apply the same techniques used in previous murals which will include a border of hands prints and key words, which, in this project, will relate to the values of the 2012 Olympics, and a central feature depicting cultures from around the world.
The students will also revisit the society's first mural which was created in Ballymena in 2000 and learn how it inspired Creative Peace Murals around the world in the last 10 years.
Ballymena is thought to be the only local town involved in the initiative which is being strongly backed by the Borough Council and the Arts Council.
A number of celebrities have also given their support and the exhibition is so high profile that, after being on display locally, it may be endorsed by Royalty when it reaches London in June.