To celebrate 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement, portraits of women who came together to make and maintain peace through collective action in civil society will be shown alongside the exhibition - the first time that both the portraits and the exhibition have been shown together in Britain.

The free exhibition at the Tyneside Irish Centre will feature figures including Bronagh Hinds, a notable civil rights activist who co-founded the Northern Ireland Women’s Rights Movement, and later, the Northern Ireland Women’s European Platform. Ahead of the peace talks in 1996, she co-founded the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition (NIWC) and later acted as senior advisor and negotiator of the Good Friday Agreement.

Also included is Pearl Sagar, a social worker from the Protestant community who was put forward to be one of the two women at the table, representing the NIWC alongside Monica McWilliams – whose portrait is also included in the exhibition. Both Pearl and Monica faced continuous sexism but despite this, they and the NIWC secured important concessions that were core to the success of the Good Friday Agreement.

In addition, the exhibition – which takes place as part of the Tyneside Irish Festival - will also feature former Newcastle University lecturer and MP for Redcar, Mo Mowlam, who was also the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998.

The original portraits were created by County Down-based visual artist, FRIZ, and capture the dynamism, bravery and legacy of the women peace activists of Northern Ireland. The series was commissioned in 2023 by the Herstory Educational Trust in partnership with National Museums NI and the Irish government’s Reconciliation Fund, and was first hung in the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont.

The portraits to be displayed in Tyneside are digital reproductions of these portraits on canvas. They were created by the Irish Embassy in London to enable this project to reach audiences across Britain, while the original portraits continue to tour in Ireland.

The exhibition will be launched by the Irish Consul General, Sarah Mangan, on Friday 18^th October at the Tyneside Irish Centre, alongside a talk by Newcastle University’s Dr Sarah Campbell, Senior Lecturer in Irish and British History, Newcastle University.

“These women played a pivotal role in bringing communities together, yet they are often overlooked in the telling of the history of peace in Northern Ireland”, said Dr Campbell. “Their legacy continues to be central to the success of the Good Friday Agreement, so it’s exciting to be able to see their portraits and the exhibition all shown together this side of the Irish Sea for the first time ever.”  

The exhibition will run 18 – 27 October at the Tyneside Irish Centre, 43 Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4SG. The launch event will take place Friday 18 October 6.00pm – 8.00pm, followed by a drinks reception, tickets are free but must be booked in advance at www.eventbrite.ie/e/peace-heroines-on-tyneside-launch-event-tickets-1021568297277 .

For more information about the women featured in the exhibition, visit www.herstory.ie/peaceheroines