Interface kids marching to the same beat of an African drum

Pupils from Long Tower PS and The Fountain PS have been involved in a cross-community project throughout the year, which culminated in 46 school kids performing outside the Millennium Forum.

Principal of Long Tower, Eamonn Devlin said: "This is part of an ongoing cross-community project that our school and The Fountain PS have been participating in throughout the year thanks to funding from the Integrated Education Fund.

"The younger children from both schools (P1 – P3) have been taking part in 'Musical Pathways to Friendship' learning dances and songs, while the older children have been learning the African drum together, with tutor Ronan McKee, from the WELB Music Service.

"The project has been really successful, the African drum was unknown to children from both schools so they were both motivated and interested to learn, and at the same time they were learning about the similarities in their two cultures, and getting to know each other and becoming friends."

Mr Devlin believes that if the city should win UK City of Culture 2013, we could see more and more similar events throughout Londonderry.

He added: "If we could secure City of Culture, it would be fantastic. It would be a great opportunity to bring additional resources and jobs here.

"I think it would also encourage more events like the one we are seeing today, which not only involves the children from our two schools but also the parents.

"The children of today are the adults of tomorrow, they are future and with cross-community events like this we are trying to eradicate old bitterness and encourage people from different backgrounds to focus on their similarities rather than their differences."