R CITY stands for Our Communities Integrating Through Youth and is a cross-community youth organisation that works primarily in North and West Belfast. Based at the Spectrum Centre, they run many programmes with young people from the Shankill Road, Falls Road and Ardoyne. Young people from across these communities regularly visit each other’s areas and also use the Houben Shared Space Centre.
R CITY was founded in 2013 and seeks to develop leadership skills and opportunities for young people living in areas facing issues of conflict, mental health, gang culture, educational disadvantage and lack of aspirations.
In 2024, Belfast Council’s Good Relations Small Grants programme supported R CITY to deliver a programme of workshops and a showcase event during Good Relations Week. This video, Celebrating Good Relations Week in a Post Conflict Society, was developed as part of their showcase. It is a fantastic example of the work that R CITY do, supported with Good Relations funding from Belfast City Council.
The video demonstrates the impact that the programmes have on the young participants, and also depicts the hopes and aspirations of the participants for a shared and peaceful future, from which we will all benefit.