Bring an item with personal meaning to PRONI to explore memory and identity.

The public are asked to delve into their family archives to bring items along to a unique exhibition launch at the Public Record Office.

The Holding Together exhibition by Bryonie Reid and Gemma Reid begins on 4 December 2019 and will run until 31 January 2020. 

The exhibition is a collaborative work funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Bryonie is a writer and artist exploring identity and place and Gemma is a heritage professional specialising in community engagement.

The exhibition is inspired by a wealth of papers, photographs and objects in a private family archive belonging to the artists shedding light on lived experiences of 19^th- and 20^th-century Ireland. Stories pieced together from the archive touch on plantation; the Reid family’s north-south connections and migration; its Quaker faith and later move into the Exclusive Brethren church; and the flax spinning industry in Belfast.

The public are invited to bring something of their own to the launch – a photograph or letter or other small item – that conjures up something about their past, in order to explore what they mean in the present and why we pass them on.

The exhibition will be on display from 4 December 2019 until 31 January 2020.

Notes to editors: 

1. PRONI is at 2 Titanic Boulevard, Titanic Quarter, Belfast. For details on opening hours, see nidirect or call 028 90 534800
2. Bryonie Reid and Gemma Reid work as Quarto Collective.
3. Further details on booking can be found at nidirect.
4. For media enquiries please contact the DfC Press Office on 028 90 823 516 or e-mail Press Office. Out of hours please contact the Duty Press Officer on 028 90378110

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