How Time is More than Money: The Mural as a Labour of Love

Struan Kennedy

doi:10.20919/exs.11.2021.277

Abstract

This article proposes that of all the different ways that social connections are formed the most important factor is time. Given how central it is to the development of relationships, the article argues that projects aiming to improve community relations should extend their duration rather than truncate it for the sake of cost-efficiency or quick and apparent success. The project of specific focus is the making of community murals which is laden with potential but only when it is conceived in the entirety of the process rather than simply as an end product. This potential is based on the idea that more time, if used carefully and critically, can play a greater role in fostering positive relations in contexts where civic engagement is strained. Several case studies will be referenced from the United States of America and Northern Ireland, two societies that share both a tradition of mural making and social division, in terms of race relations and ethnonational/religious sectarianism respectively. Practical insights from these cases substantiate the central argument that the mural process affords moments for valuable cross-community contact, critical discussion, and meaningful reflection. When this approach is adopted, time can be best served in repairing social connections, creating new bonds and even mitigating further tension.

Highlights

This article proposes that of all the different ways that social connections are formed the most important factor is time
To summarise, the social connectivity of murals starts with a new reading of them that reveals their full potential; being an isolated and static ‘thing’, their noun status should be shed for the more dynamic and fluid actionbased verb
Once this understanding has been seized, the rest can fall into place: from exercising forms of democratic engagement, critically excavating the environment, to maximising social capital, where a sense of worth adds up to more than utilitarian cost

Summary

Introduction

This article proposes that of all the different ways that social connections are formed the most important factor is time. A discussion of outreach will delve into democratic engagement as well as direct and indirect forms of participation, whereby a pivotal early step in this process is exploring the environment within which murals are situated. Over the course of five workshops, they learnt about Dr King’s life and legacy as well as the history of social justice murals (Berwyn Public Art Initiative, 2020).

Results

Conclusion