Study Abroad with the MAC

Bring your cohort of students to the MAC in Belfast, Northern Ireland to experience a study abroad trip with a difference. Your International students will learn in the unique setting of an award-winning arts centre within post-conflict Northern Ireland.

25 years on from the signing of the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace and stability to the country, Northern Ireland looks to the legacy of the Troubles. Join us in looking forward as we create a prosperous and equitable Northern Ireland, free from conflict, sectarianism, and marginalisation.

Through the arts, the MAC is uniquely placed to deliver this experience. Theatre, visual art, literature and socially-engaged art practice have long supported the peace process. The arts continue to contribute to our peaceful society by providing opportunities and spaces for shared conversation, integration, and cross-community work where physical and psychological barriers are overcome, and people forge human connections through their shared experiences.

What does the programme look like?

You know your students best, so in collaboration with you, we will design a bespoke study abroad learning experience with modules that best meet the needs of your students. Specific topic areas that the MAC will focus on include:

Arts and conflict resolution
Visual arts
Peace and justice
Socially engaged art practice
Applied theatre

The trip will include lectures by leading academics in your area of interest; talks with local artists and change-makers; meetings with local communities; field trips to galleries, museums and sites in Belfast; and excursions to relevant towns and cities including Derry which is the second largest city in Northern Ireland.

The MAC has a network of artists and community partners who provide opportunities for students to connect with grass roots organisations to identity, conflict transformation, health & well-being, at the same time as connecting to Belfast’s thriving art scene.

To find out more, get in touch with Elaine Forde, MAC Creative Learning & Engagement Manager to start planning a bespoke trip for your student group.

Who's it for?

Who is the study abroad trip for?

The MAC study abroad trips are relevant to university groups from a range of undergraduate and post-graduate study areas including arts, community development, conflict transformation & humanities. Ideal group size is up to you, but we'd recommend a group of 12 minimum to get the most from your experience.

What will we learn?

What will the students learn?

By immersing themselves in the culture of Northern Ireland, students will have the opportunity to learn and develop.

Here are our top reasons for students to undertake a MAC Study Abroad trip:

Be the change maker

Students will connect and collaborate with local artists, creative practitioners and communities, and in doing so they will develop new methods of using the arts as a tool for peacebuilding in conflict zones or for social change.

Academic and artistic development

Through artistic practice, site-specific visits, teaching opportunities, creative assignments and workshops, students will explore post-conflict Northern Ireland through the lens of ethics, trauma, equality, gender, discrimination, recovery, reconciliation, sectarianism and justice.

Personal growth and values

Students will have the opportunity to define their own personal and professional values. They will have the opportunity to consider how they can contribute to a peaceful and compassionate world using creative skills such as listening, storytelling, and collaboration to create community and promote social change. The students will listen with compassion to those who have lived experience of the conflict here, and will be able to assess their value systems and develop these in line with their passion for a positive future.

Expand intercultural understanding

As the artists, philosophers, changemakers and creative leaders of the future, this programme allows students to learn from a county who experienced a 30-year armed conflict, signed the Good Friday Agreement, and are now celebrating 25 years of peace. Students will be immersed into past, and present Northern Ireland, and integrate inro the local environment, gaining an understanding of current issues, politics and community relations. These experiences will enable students to understand their own personal and social responsibility to the world we live in.

Develop your International network

Students can expand on their global connections, not only for the benefit of their own personal growth and future artistic and professional careers. The students will foster new connections with Irish artists and changemakers, and future networks will emerge.

What does it cost?

How much does a MAC study abroad trip cost?

The MAC study abroad trips are co-designed with each university to meet the learning outcomes of each course. Fees start at £30,000 based on a group of 12 students and are priced to fit the duration and needs of each university group.

The MAC coordinate all educational aspects of the trip and administer payment of local services. We also support and advise groups on suitable accommodation, and travel.

Reviews

Peggy Stafford, Assistant Professor of Playwriting, Purchase Collage

"The work The MAC is going right now is critical and invaluable... initiatives will help to broaden and deepen an understanding of the similarities and differences between the United States and the United Kingdom, and how Northern Ireland creates a unique opportunity for American students and professional to learn about conflict transformation directly from within a post-conflict zone."