Charting the progress of regenerated Downpatrick area

Charting the progress of regenerated Downpatrick area

4 April 2012 - by Joanne Fleming

A PHOTOGRAPHIC exhibition celebrating the success of the Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership in Downpatrick was opened in Down Arts Centre last Friday.

Commissioned by the Partnership, and taken by photographers Raphael Mason and Philip Kelly, the photographs illustrate the people, projects and improvements to the area.

The aim was to capture positive experiences of local people since project work was undertaken since 2005.

At Friday’s launch, participants were invited to suggest, in their own words, captions and titles for the pictures.

Neighbourhood Renewal, led by the Department for Social Development, aims to bring about a joined-up approach to tackling deprivation in 36 targeted areas across Northern Ireland

David Patterson, Neighbourhood Renewal Co-ordinator for Downpatrick, said Friday’s opening of the exhibition had been a success.

“It was a fun way of getting people to look at the pictures and asking them to think and to reflect on what’s been done by many, many people working together and the resulting positive improvements in facilities that we have seen in the area over the past few years,” he said.

The exhibition of photographs, with added captions from the event,  will be open to the public in the Studio Bar Down Arts Centre throughout April.