connect 2019 • 43 To appreciate the need for a program like Street Talk, one needs to understand the complicated history of the police and the local commu- nities. “Historically in Northern Ireland there were three communities: the Protestants, the Catholics, and the police,” says Terry McKenna, a PSNI Inspector who is involved with the Street Talk project. “There are huge legacy issues here. Many people grew up with their grandparents and parents not accepting the police as a legitimate political force. Right through the Troubles, that was the perception, that the police were their own ‘side’. Since the ceasefire we’re now trying to get the police accepted as a normal part of society.” Through Street Talk, teens engage with police officers and other teens from communities that are not their own. The officers don’t come in uniform, and often the teens don’t initially know who is from a Catholic neighborhood and who is from a Protestant neighborhood. Activities ranging from graffiti to video production to lightbox art, have provided creative outlets and opportunities for discussion. It takes time, but soon groups are mingling, eating pizza, and realizing they have a safe and neutral space to ask questions they might have never thought to ask before. Today, the Playhouse is not only continuing the now-established Street Talk program with teens, but also working with younger children to combat sectarianism and develop trust. Connect magazine sat down with Max Beer, Interim CEO of the Play- house; Elaine Forde, Project Coordinator; Caroline Temple, Coordinator of the Street Talk Project; and Pauline Ross, Founder and Artistic Director of the Playhouse to learn about the challenges facing their community in Northern Ireland today and how the Street Talk project continues to make an impact.