This exhibition tells the inspirational story of All Children Together, the parent-led, grassroots campaign group formed in the early 1970s that in 1981 went on to open Lagan College, the first planned integrated school in Northern Ireland.
It details some of the challenges and opposition faced by proponents of integrated education and highlights the organisations and individuals who helped to shape the sector by opening or transforming schools throughout the 1980s and 1990s. By tracing developments up to the present day, the exhibition reflects on the origins, legacy, impact, and place of integrated education within Northern Ireland’s education system.
This story is told through The Linen Hall’s unique archives, which are publicly accessible to promote better understanding and knowledge. These archives include material compiled by All Children Together member Margaret Kennedy, alongside other documents in the Northern Ireland Political Collection and collections of individuals such as Baroness May Blood MBE.
The exhibition also draws on testimony from newly recorded oral history interviews with teachers, former pupils, parents, politicians and campaigners which are now available for public consultation. As part of the project, we also invited a wide range of people to attend community engagement workshops to share their views on integrated education.
The collections we have at The Linen Hall are thanks to the generosity of our members and supporters. If you have material relevant to integrated education which you would like to donate to enrich our archives and preserve for future generations, please email info@linenhall.com.
This exhibition, first displayed at The Linen Hall from May to July 2026, was developed with support from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Reconciliation Fund.
