Jim Keys

Jim Keys is Primary Facilitator of  GMT’s Workshop Education Programmes.   A qualified teacher, Jim left the formal education sector in 1985 somewhat disillusioned by the contribution he could make there.   In 1986 an encounter with the praxis of Brazilian educationalist Paulo Freire reignited the educator in him.  He left Derry and went to train in the workshop methods of Frontline: Culture & Education in Manchester.  Frontline was utilising Freire’s praxis to engage young people falling through the cracks in the education system.  Together they created theatre about their lives for their communities.  Two years later Jim returned to establish a Frontline group in Derry.  Derry Frontline created three plays one of which, Inside Out, toured Ireland to critical acclaim.

He co-founded Gaslight Productions with Stephen Gargan in 1998.  He was  Executive Producer of its first project SUNDAY  [make active link to SUNDAY in our site] made for Channel 4 Television.  Post SUNDAY he went on to co-create with Stephen GMT’s innovative multimedia conflict transformation workshop programme epilogues.  SUNDAY laid the foundations for the creation of epilogues.  epilogues in turn laid the foundations for JustUs.  epilogues, an exploration of the conflict aimed at adult citizens, starts in the past.  JustUs, an exploration of conflict aimed at young people growing up here, starts in the present.

In recent years Jim has come to see his concern for social justice within the context of climate justice and the need for a Just transition.  He is a founding member of Zero Waste North West.