Deirdra McMenamin’s journey is one marked by resilience, innovation, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. The world knows her as a Creative Life Mentor, NI, NZ, UK Artist, Peace Aspirer, Water Protector Environmental Change Consultant and Co chair Ecocivilisation Aotearoa, New Zealand- one of the co- creators of Kindergarten4grownups who aims is to help create a happier, peaceful, inclusive, healthy world. She emerged as a trailblazer in her field, making significant strides and pushing the boundaries of what was thought possible. Her innovative ideas, coupled with her exceptional problem-solving skills, earned her a reputation as a forward-thinking and visionary leader. We couldn’t stop ourselves delving into a deep discourse when met her. Read further:
Rajni Vohra: You seem to have strong leadership traits since the very beginning of your life which
seem to have showed up in the kind of roles you have taken up, and the career
choices you have made since the very beginning. How do you reflect on it?
Deirdra McMenamin: I am the winona (eldest granddaughter) of a family of teachers, healers, youth &
community workers, and business people and my ancestors where leaders. My
maternal grandmother was a direct descendant of the high kings and Queens of
Ireland and Scotland. While another ancestor was sold at the side of the river into a
very unhappy marriage. They were forced off their land generations ago. So there
are no absolutes in life. Sally had a difficult life and spent a lot of time in hospital
when I was growing up. When I wasn’t visiting with her, I was sent to visit people in
the hospital who did not have any visitors. As a result of this I met a diverse range of
people who shared very intimate stories at a vulnerable time. Seeing people who
were often on opposite sides of the conflict shaped my understanding of equality,
difference, vulnerability and my knowledge at the end of the day that everyone is a
human being, totally interdependent on others to survive, Everyone can bleed, be
hurt but also has the power to make things better in many different ways. This
contributed to a broad vision of how we interact as a species with each other. It also
taught humility seeing a judge at the end of his life may be cared for by family
members he made rulings on, is a major reminder to do the right thing.
Whilst I have not sought out leadership positions I have often found myself in those
roles as a result of speaking up, trying to change an injustice or situation, whether it
be contributing to peace work or sustainability or women’s arts. When I was first at
college I was chair of “stop the art attack” which was trying to protect access to arts
education. Through this I became the first female arts college president of
Loughborough students union, which at that time was a very rare diverse
independent union which represented the interests of art college students, further
education college students, vocational blind students as well as the university
students. With a ratio of 4 male: 1 female student. I learned that we as a species can
make the situation better for everybody and that through this everyone wins. So in
my early twenties I was director and president of this multi million pound company
that had 70 full time staff, 150 part time staff, several shops, restaurants and bars,
and a seven day week entertainment venue. It ran a simple circular economy.
The profits from revenue were ploughed back into improving the quality of life of students,
for example profit from cashpoint machines contributed to the financial advice service
for students. The profit from one restaurant contributed to subsidised arts materials
for students, and from another to an overseas students adviser position, from a bar
for a housing adviser. And the profits from the laundry facility sponsored childcare
places for students alongside subsidies from British Gas. Providing a night bus,
assertiveness, self defense classes and personal safety devices This was a simple
but effective model of how to increase the wellbeing of all. One of the reasons we
see so many problems in society now is that the profit from businesses are
disappearing into private hands rather than ploughed back into where they were
made and are needed, to elevate everybody.
Rajni Vohra: You have done some of the most intriguing social welfare work and researches in
your life, like Shift: suicide prevention to bring therapeutic effect through some forms
of dance, could you gauge the tangible impact on recovery?
Deirdra McMenamin:The Shift project was a multi agency project that took years to pull together and brought together a wide variety of agencies such as a social housing provider,primary care health centre, professional ballet company, professional dance studio,
University and special needs school. Trying to build local capacity because outsider
offering a miracle may cause more damage. The health centre identified young men
who were at risk of suicide, (this of course is important to consider now given the
higher risk of suicide and the increase of this post Covid pandemic). Identify the
source of pain rather than judge the coping mechanism. The participants where at
high risk, all were interviewed, most of whom had complex birth stories and this
impacted on their self image, their ability to self start was low and they had been
excluded from many places. They also did not roam very much and stayed within
their home boundaries (these behaviours have been mirrored significantly post
Covid). It was identified that there was a huge need to build connections, but these
young men did not have the corresponding skills. The project sought to teach them
through dance things like safe touch, how to reclaim spaces safely, personal
hygiene, working with others, trust, agency, movement. This lead to an increase in
confidence through shared choreography, creating score, listening, performance and
filming processes. The project was celebrated with a red carpet premiere at a local
cinema which also increased their self-confidence and their standing with their peers
and within their families. There is evidence to suggest that their wellbeing markers
would remain elevated for up to five years after this programme. The young men all
identified that having professional adult mentors take the time to engage with them,
not only boosted their self esteem but also increased their ability and desire to
become someone who can contribute back to society. It was beneficial for the
mentors too. Building community consciously
Rajni Vohra : Another interesting area you have worked in for almost a decade is equine and art
therapy, since not many people are aware of this form of art and the benefits it offers,
how was your experience?
Deirdra McMenamin: I have been using art in a therapeutic way for as long as I can remember as art is intrinsically therapeutic. Having taken my first counselling class whilst doing a foundation in art & design studies.
I was later introduced to EAGALA the equine assisted growth and learning association
in 2002 and that has transformed my practice.
It has instilled in me the use of curiosity, clean language and the potential to
avoid our misunderstandings through the use of language and the cultural contexts in
which they sit. For example in some Asian countries shaking the head would mean
agreement but in some European countries it would mean a disagreement which can
of course lead to misunderstandings If one hasn’t been exposed to that culture so
cultivating an open mind without assumptions is useful to understand difference.
However horse’s communication is very direct and lacks the ambiguity that we
humans manage to make. Horses are hugely healing especially for returned service
people, young people in crisis and those who find talk therapy difficult. I have many
beautiful stories I would not know where to start ( that might be a whole other
interview). However I remember someone saying that the horses filled the empty
space in their heart with unconditional love. I have witnessed many beautiful
moments of deep healing. I think we are meant to live amongst animals and since
industrialization we have lost our connection to the natural world and that has
increased our feelings of isolation and mental health issues. Working alongside
animals can restore the knowledge of our interconnectedness. The use of metaphor
in both art and horse work can greatly aid healing.
Rajni Vohra : You appear extremely caring about environmental issues and ecological damage
done by plastics in the past, many countries tried to curb the elevating amount of
plastic but nothing seems to have brought the desired level of results so far. What is
your take on it?
Deirdra McMenamin: In early 1990’s I was in India during the muslim hindu riots which echoed what was
happening back home in Northern Ireland but one of the things that stayed in my
mind since then was, a teenager coming on to the train with a tray of terracotta cups
and spiced chai tea. The cups felt great, the tea tasted wonderful and there was
community and theatricality in the whole process and once we had drunk our drink
the terracotta cups where thrown out of the train window. There was a beautiful
sunset and the colour of the clay was incredibly inspiring and enhanced the feeling of
being there and being connected to that place. Not only was it a romantic memory it
was environmentally sustainable, ethical and a closed loop economy. In the current
environment the plastic cups made from imported oil, that have replaced the
terracotta do not have the same level of integrity, they will not biodegrade and they
become trash that has to be dealt with rather than something beautiful that enhances
the experience. We need a fundamental shift in our thinking, because the oil used to
make those plastic cups is a resource we will run out of really quickly, it does no
good and cannot be recycled without more energy waste. I think it is about
celebrating what works, sticking with some of the older traditional ways and not
choosing the expedient options. These usually come with a heavy environmental
cost later on down the road. Plastic should now be reserved solely for medical
devises that cannot be made any other way, especially plastics should be removed
from clothing and replaced with wool which has higher thermal qualities and levels of
fire retardation, and of course is a much more sustainable resource. We just have to
remember that we are intimately connected and interdependent on the natural world,
the cleaner and smaller we keep our cycles the better it is for everyone. Think global
act local.
Rajni Vohra : How would you explain the mission/vision of Deirdra McMenamin also throw some
light on Lay down your arms public action art.
Deirdra McMenamin: The vision for Deirdra McMenamin Kindergarten4grownups
Kindigarden4grownups is: We are here to create not destroy. That’s our purpose for
being here. I hope to help people inhabit that fully. To experience arts and creativity:
the processes, applications and appreciation. Either alone, 1 to 1 or in groups ( both
professional and scholarly) through exhibitions and workshops. In professional
practice or in schools to experience the process of relaxing, letting go of stress and
tension and in that space of possibility, create.
Now destruction may be creative too as long as its channelled away from hurting
anyone or anything else. For example in Heart to heart 8 people may identify where
their pain, frustration, anger or hurt is, learn to release it and identify if there is
someone they can make peace with. Other times people are invited into an
exhibition for a transformative experience from a public art experience like “Hurts and
fears hopes and dreams.” Where a beautiful space is created to release hurts and
imagine dreams. Even recycling armies by asking them to blow up the hurts, so we design to bring everyone along. They are all different vehicles to clear hurt and invite
creation. So i want to reframe the world so we use our skills to create a better
healthier future for everyone. I believe humans are intrinsically good but can make
mistakes which damage, most often because of a process we have wrongly adapted
to when we were younger and the process of life is to find that and reframe it
because we can create joy and good things just as much. We just need to remember.
As Maya Angelo’s says ‘when we know better we do better.’
The problem at the moment is that we have systems of entertainment which are
modeling behavior that are fundamentally dangerous to our survival on the planet. I
hope to nudge those systems just enough to create a more sustainable future for all
our children. For example one weeks global military industrial spending would feed
clothe, educate, rehome and provide healthcare for everyone on the planet. So Now
I cant go up against the global military industrial / pharmaceutical complex on my
own but I can reasonably ask that a portion of that spending goes towards teaching
all soldiers on basic training an extra week of permaculture design science. So they
can first feed themselves, then feed the people around them, then make systems that
support the quality of life wherever they are. Instead of solely destroying. Because if
we have organisations of that scale bent solely on destruction what’s the logical
conclusion of that action? They are doing what’s expected of them perfectly but
maybe we need to change what we expect. So we need to divert that and do that
quickly.
Also post Covid we need to build connection. That needs to be prioritised. I think
teaching listening skills, wellness breathing, mindfulness, yoga, non violent
communication, permaculture design science are all potential leverages for our
future. How many ex soldiers have mental health issues, addiction, debt,
homelessness etc? How many families have witnessed domestic abuse? Those
people have been exploited by a system that destroys but if that system taught them
some balance with healthy systems too such as permaculture design science first a)
they would make different decisions on the field do less needless damage, because
they would understand how to create life they would also know how to build a home
and feed themselves when they get out of service. Also endorphins are released
when people have their hands in the soil so they are happier, its a win/win. If we
could get everyone to learn things like emergency first aid, emergency mental health
first aid, well being, mindfulness, non violent communication, Alternatives to
violence, listening skills, permaculture, diplomacy these are all potential steps among
others to create the future we know, we are capable of. In order to do this we need
to create systems of equality but each of us as individuals must take responsibility for
our own healing. Indigenous cultures such as Maori and Hopi are leading the way on
this connections and we need to listen. The system as it stands exploits to many
people whether its exhausted doctors or teachers. We must create warriors of the
heart who can change our hours of work and expectations to, as Violetta says
“human better”.
Thats were ‘Lay down your arms comes in. About 30 years ago in Northern Ireland
there was a horrible shooting at the engagement of a catholic and a protestant. 3
generations of the same family were shot. I was across town amongst all these world
peace artists. Who all started emoting when we heard the news, while most of the
locals said nothing as they were at saturation point. Suddenly in that moment i saw
that they had witnessed so much violence and injustice that they were numb. I saw a
mum trying to explain to her child why the fancy dress had been cancelled and I
thought no one should ever have to do that and all kids deserved to play. So in that
moment i decided i had to do something as it just wasn’t right. People should be
allowed to love who they love regardless of what anyone else thinks and kids should
be allowed, supported and protected to be kids but also all humans should be able to
express themselves without fear because fear is at the root of all violence. Violence
is the real evil. So because everyone was calling for the laying down of arms. I had a
vision of a handshake, a sign of peace, all these sculptures of arms . I started casting
people who were involved in the situation. War memorials are lists of dead people
but I wanted to realise that its live people who make the difference now. So I cast the
arms of people who could make a difference such as Martin Mc Guiness, John
Hume, Gregory Campbell which seemed like such a shocking idea at the time and
asked him to shake hands with the queen so we could have peace because the
handshake means that a knight wont use his sword against you etc etc. We cast over
a hundred people who represented the communities in that first round and the very
first cease fire in my lifetime happened 6 weeks later and I think we helped. Because
a lot of us women crossed boundaries to make the change. Just holding someone’s
hand smoothing, helping the child in them be calm. I have been casting people
around the world ever since, except when I had several miscarriages and post natal
depression for a while but I am back now and I will keep on casting, creating, having
conversations and helping people create solutions until we have world peace
because we can do it. It is the 30 th anniversary of Lay down your arms next year it’s
going to be happening with lots of other wonderful people, in several cities across 10
countries. So if you would like to have your arm cast for world peace let me know at
[email protected]
Rajni Vohra :Sure!I will
Rajni Vohra : Your biggest learning?
Deirdra McMenamin: My biggest learning is that it starts with me/us and we are all connected. The water in
you may be in me in 10 years time. Being kind to myself, as every little thing we do
can be magnified and may have an amplified impact later. Recognize that I will
stumble and fall far from my ideal but that’s part of the process so forgive myself and
get up and start again. So as much as possible try to start everything from a place of
love,calm and good intent, whether through meditation, movement, art or
mindfulness. Know that we can make a difference. Thank you.
Rajni Vohra :Thank you for this conversation