Listen to our feature on the creative industries

Public art
Belfast may not be renowned for its artistic spirit. More disturbing images tend to stick in the public’s minds; however, the new Belfast is awash with creativity. Large works of public art inspired by rural themes are now on the streets of the city: Sheep on the Road and Big Fish are new landmarks that define the city.

Conor Shields, director of the New Belfast Community Arts Initiative, says ‘community and youth arts are alive and well in Belfast and in the lives of its people. We make art for art’s sake, freeing the imagination, expressing what can be impossible to say, giving all of us a chance to reflect on who we are… in our own place, at our own pace. Art communicates… art regenerates … art doesn’t discriminate.’

City Skate
The ‘City Skate’ project was run by artists and community groups. A series of workshops based around skateboarding and street culture resulted in the graffiti based mural at Ann Street pedestrian subway. Led by artists Deirdre McKenna and Fiona Ni Mhaoilir, who shared their skills with young people from all over the city, the city’s underground art work was formed. Based on the theme of subway and train motifs, each train carriage contained humorously themed characters.

Mixing people and art
The murals project allowed groups from communities who previously did not mix to work together. They were interviewed whilst they worked, with their comments captured on film. Conor Shields comments, ‘This project has tried to reflect how art forms change and fuse together in new ways: mural art, fashion, theatre and film-making, all themed around skating. The overlapping of art and recreation shows how broad the arena of urban arts actually is and how it offers our young people a public opportunity to express themselves creatively.’

Copper Moon
Karen Daye-Hutchinson runs Copper Moon, an arts and crafts shop in the city centre: ‘There are a lot of creative people in Belfast. We have a new crafts council encouraging artists, particularly in West Belfast. I am able to get work from local jewellers, ceramists and handbag artists. Once this would have been quite difficult. Diane McCormack and Anne Marie Robinson are top Northern Irish ceramists and Eddie Docherty and Stuart Cairns are jewellery designers. Copper Moon features work by all these artists.’

Belfast is certainly a ‘big fish’ in the world of art!

Nelly
September 2006