“We’re here to make things better. And to work towards a point
where we’re working with everything that the person is or can be.”
This is the sentiment of one of the members of the Camphill Community in
Glencraig near Holywood in Co Down – the focus of a new BBC ONE Northern
Ireland documentary.
The programme, “…and many children came,” is a portrait of a remarkable group of approximately 160 people who live in the first Camphill Community to be set up in Ireland in 1954.
This group of people live largely self-sufficiently, growing their own vegetables, keeping their own livestock and living by the natural rhythm of the seasons. The Christian based community is made up of people from all over the world, young and old, and includes many people with special needs who are cared for by the community.
The ethos of the Camphill Community is that they look for, recognise and develop the potential in each individual and don’t label people who come there. The one-hour documentary looks at a year in the life of the Community through the four seasons – from summer right through to spring and their relationship with nature and the land.
The Camphill Community at Glencraig is one of approximately 100 similar communities in around 20 different countries around the world which was inspired by the work of Dr Karl König at Camphill near Aberdeen in Scotland.
Situated on the shores of Belfast Lough, the community lives together in 20 houses on the 100 acre site which has schools, a farm and workshops. Ian kirk-Smith, producer of the documentary said: “Few people are probably even aware that this community exists. It’s amazing that such a tranquil place does exist only a few miles from the hustle and bustle of Belfast."
“In so many ways the community at Glencraig is based on values that offer an alternative to those of our society. The cooperative nature of life, the desire to fulfil needs and not wants, the respect for rhythm and not routine, the nurturing of the earth, the slow pace, the way in which those with special needs are integrated and included and the active living out of a life grounded on a strong spiritual foundation. The film is an attempt to convey the pace, ethos and tenderness of life there through four seasons.”