Connecting Minds NI
Building connection through culture, heritage,
wellbeing and youth leadership.
Connecting Minds Northern Ireland unites young people from Catholic, Protestant, newcomer, refugee, and minority communities through storytelling, sport, music, mindfulness, and technology. Our initiatives extend beyond education. We cultivate community development, inclusion, and leadership from the ground up.
About Connecting Minds
Connecting Minds was created to help young people build stronger connections with themselves, their communities, and the wider world.
Through culture, storytelling, heritage, mindfulness and the arts, we create spaces where young people can explore identity, develop empathy and build positive relationships across communities.
Our work supports peacebuilding, wellbeing and youth leadership, encouraging young people to understand different perspectives while recognising the value of their own voices and experiences.
Programme Overviews
Connecting Minds NI delivers creative programmes that support youth wellbeing, cultural understanding, peacebuilding and leadership.
Our workshops are delivered in schools, youth clubs and community organisations, and are designed to respond to the needs of each group.
Many sessions are co-facilitated by artists, migrants and refugees, creating opportunities for young people to engage with diverse perspectives and lived experiences.
Cultural Exchange & Global Dialogue
Young people connect with peers in other communities and countries through creative exchange projects. Participants explore identity and culture through art, storytelling and recorded messages, helping them learn about different perspectives and shared experiences.
Peace & Reconciliation Through the Arts
Creative workshops using music, storytelling and collaborative art help young people explore identity, community history and respectful dialogue while building friendships across different backgrounds. These programmes support peacebuilding and shared education outcomes, encouraging empathy and understanding.
Mindfulness & Wellbeing
Our wellbeing programmes help young people develop practical tools for emotional awareness and resilience. Through mindfulness activities, breathing techniques, movement and reflective creative exercises, participants learn strategies that support positive mental health and stronger peer relationships.
Heritage, Identity & Migration
Participants explore how migration, settlement and historical events have shaped communities and attitudes today. Through storytelling, discussion and creative responses, young people reflect on identity, history and belonging while learning about the diverse experiences that shape society.
Community Gardens & Creative Spaces
Young people work together to improve shared environments through planting, mural painting and creative landscaping projects. These initiatives help build pride in place while encouraging teamwork, environmental awareness and community ownership.
Youth Leadership Pathway
Connecting Minds supports young people to grow into youth ambassadors and assistant leaders. Participants can take on roles supporting workshops, mentoring younger participants and helping shape future projects, developing valuable leadership and communication skills.
Focus Areas
Inclusion of migrants and refugees
Youth leadership development
Cultural expression through arts, ecology and technology
Trauma-informed mental health support
A Team Rooted in Experience & Inclusion
Who We Are
Our team comprises Educators, Youth leaders, Social workers, Shared Education specialists, Youth ambassadors, Migrant artists, and Refugees, reflecting the diverse communities we serve. By co- designing workshops with community members, we ensure our programmes are relevant, inclusive, and authentic.
Pre-2021 - Laying the Foundations: Peacebuilding in Northern Ireland
Why We Are
Northern Ireland's history of conflict, known as The Troubles (1968-1998), left deep divisions between communities. The signing of the **Good Friday Agreement in 1998** marked a turning point toward peace, reconciliation, and shared futures. In the years that followed, education and community sectors began working to break down barriers through **Shared Education**, cross-community youth initiatives, and peace-focused funding. Key programs such as **Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC)** and **Good Relations funding** supported efforts to promote inclusion, dialogue, and mutual understanding across cultural, religious, and ethnic lines. This legacy of peacebuilding inspired Connecting Minds to build on those foundations, empowering young people to carry the work forward through creativity, empathy, and cross-cultural learning.
Supporting Shared Education outcomes in partnership with schools and youth settings across Northern Ireland as an Education Authority registered local youth organisation, operating independently from Education Authority provision.
Participant Testimonials
It helped me feel calm and accepted. I didn't speak English before, but now I can talk to my classmates. I loved the drawing and yoga games.
- Primary school student, Belfast
Visit our U.S. website
Registered Charity:
NIC109673
CONTACT US
Connecting Minds Northern Ireland is a locally registered, independent charity based in the UK. While we are not legally affiliated with organisations of the same name outside the United Kingdom, we collaborate in partnership where missions align—particularly in promoting global peace, inclusion, and youth leadership.
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