In Memory of Stephen Gargan

Stephen Gargan, our dear friend, colleague and GMT’s Project Manager tragically passed away on the 27th November 2022.  In so many ways he lives on in epilogues and our other projects.  His many influences are fondly remembered in our work going forward.

Hailing from Blackditch Road, Ballyfermot, in Dublin, it was Stephen’s deep concern for justice issues in the north that provoked a move to Derry in 1990.   With a keen interest in literature and film coupled with acute awareness of how working class communities are usually excluded from these tools of expression, he quickly became active in the community education sector.  He co-founded the radical cultural education projects 20/20 Vision and Gasyard Wall Feile.  He became an active member of the Bloody Sunday Weekend Committee until 2011.  Thereafter he joined the Bloody Sunday March Committee which co-ordinates the annual march and programme of educational events that contextualise it.  He continued to underscore the importance of justice for all until his untimely death.

Stephen conducted original research that resulted in Gaslight’s award winning Channel 4 Drama documentary film SUNDAY [make active link to SUNDAY in our site].  He was the film’s Co Producer.  SUNDAY screened in 2002 telling the story of Bloody Sunday, primarily from the perspective of the community that suffered it.  He went on to co-create with Jim Keys, 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.