Some of the best events Belfast has to offer including: Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, Festival of Fools, Black Box Events, Open House Festival, Belfast Children’s Festival, Out to Lunch Festival, Summer Sundays and Culture Night could be under serious threat following the sudden closure of the Laganside Events Fund. The cutting of the Laganside Events Fund by the Department for Social Development will have serious implications for the continued viability of these highly popular events in Cathedral Quarter.

“There is a real sense of shock and massive disappointment that the Events Fund has been completely cut” Paul Mc Erlean, Chairman of the Cathedral Quarter Steering Group said. “I’ve been in touch with a number of arts groups who have received letters without any prior consultation or indication that the funding would go. This cut will seriously undermine many of the great events that have given Cathedral Quarter and Belfast such an improved image and helped to make the Quarter a shared space in the city centre for the people of Belfast and its visitors. We call on the Minister, Nelson McCausland to reinstate the Fund as soon as possible,” Paul McErlean said.

Support for the impact the fund has made:

“Festivals and events are the very essence of the Cathedral Quarter. When you think of the importance of tourism and the hospitality sector to the city, and the number of people employed, you have to appreciate that festivals like the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival and events like Culture Night and Summer Sundays inject thousands of people into the city centre. Not only that, but unlike other popular night spots in Belfast, the Cathedral Quarter, at least in part because of the diversity of the people that these very popular events attract, is also a very safe and welcoming place to socialise.”
Bill Wolsey, Managing Director of the Beannchor Group which owns The Merchant Hotel

‘The withdrawal of Laganside funding by the DSD is a devastating blow to the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival and the Out to Lunch Festival as this investment enabled us to reduce ticket prices and host free events. It helped ensure both festivals could be accessible and affordable to all the people of the city and beyond.’
Sean Kelly, Director, Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival

‘It is disappointing to learn that the Laganside Events Fund is to be abolished. This fund has been a small, yet significant, opportunity for promoting tourism and creative industries in the Cathedral Quarter and the Minister’s action is all the more surprising given that these are priority areas in the NI Executive’s Draft Programme for Government.’
Joe Kelly, Director, Craft Northern Ireland

‘The Laganside Events Fund has been crucial to the development of the Black Box and many of its partners. The removal of the fund will hurt the Cathedral Quarter in many ways, including the financial implications of the loss of activity to generate cultural tourism and loss of business to pubs, restaurants, cafes and other businesses in the area. If the Cathedral Quarter is to be known as a hub for the arts, this decision can only be seen as a slap in the face to the many organisations who have been working hard to develop the Quarter and the greater Laganside area. The lateness of this decision has compounded its impact, with arts organisations being left little or no time to seek alternative avenues of funding.’
Neil Jacques, Venue Manager, Black Box Belfast

“The Laganside Events Fund is a cornerstone of regeneration and development of our cultural quarter in the city centre. Public funding for events is key to sustaining the vision of a revitalised Belfast and the massive amounts of voluntary work that we have carried out over the last number of years, with professional support from DSD, could be wasted if the funding doesn’t exist to bring the events that animate the Quarter so well,” concluded Paul McErlean.

Further info

Please contact:
Patricia Freedman – 07501469009/02890242111
Paul McErlean – 07771 732882

To the staff on the ground, the supporters financial, moral and physical, the performers on the streets, the venues in between, the artists in the air, the businesses everywhere, the cathedral quarter flock and the non-controversial paraders – it was a dizzying night of “everything, all at once” thanks to your efforts. To the babies, the oldies, the inbetweenies, the culture groupies, the casually intrigued, the out-of-towners, the once-weeklies, the every-nighters, the all-nighters and the home-by-niners, the thrill-seekers and the fun-lovers, the street-wise and the rock steady, in fact every single one of you who came down to participate, laugh, cry or point – thank you, thank you, thank you. You all helped to make the magic happen. We were happy to help. See you all next year. Even bigger and better you say? Well, we can but try…

REPLACEMENTS

Venue 22 – 21 Social
…And All That – AIM Dance Productions is replaced with Burlesque Taster Session – Belfast UnBound

Venue 57 – Ramada Encore
Last Night’s Party – Conan McIvor & Isobel Anderson is replaced with SIX-DEGREES OF SEPARATION – Conan McIvor

CANCELLATIONS

Venue 57 – Ramada Encore
Come to Your Senses – a taster!

Venue 64 – Custom House Square
Big Global Market

Venue 27 – Clanmil Housing
Whose Culture is it Anyway? – MCE Public Relations

MOVED VENUE

Venue 83 – Castle Street
Living Above The Shop – ARD Ciaran Mackel Architects moved to 40 Fountain Street (PLACE)

NEW EVENTS

Venue – 1 Queen Street
Platform Arts – Play Poland Film Festival – 18.00 – 21.00

Venue – 74 Royal Avenue
Tony Kaluarachchi – Avenue Bean – 19.30 – late

Venue – Frames Complex
Belfast International Party – After Party – 22.00 – late

Venue – 62
Mini Global Market – 18.00 – 22.00

Culture Night Belfast has become even more interactive, accessible and downright exciting with the launch of our spanking brand new Culture Night Belfast App for the iPhone.

The CNB 11 App enhances your Culture Night experience in a number of cool ways.

With its Augmented Reality (AR) programme guide, you can move your iPhone around 360 degrees to see where and when your favourite acts and activities are taking place.

Selecting an event then gives you a summary of the performance with all the info you need to plan out your perfect Culture Night evening, including act times and even how far away you are from the performance.

The nifty AR Camera can also help guide you to your desired events. There’s also a comprehensive Google map showing all 170-plus events to help keep you on track throughout the evening’s fun.

On 23rd September, the Cathedral Quarter and beyond will once again be a-buzz with gigs, choirs, dance, poetry, exhibitions, theatre, street performers, taster tours, workshops and so much more than we have space to print individually!

It’s a perfect time to start planning your Culture Night Belfast experience, with over 170 events and 100 venues taking part, you’ll need several nights to take it all in. But we invite you to soak it up and discover for yourselves all that Culture Night Belfast has to offer.

Keep checking out this website and our facebook page for updates on the umpteen free events and performances taking place on Culture Night Belfast and last but not least… see you there.

An evening of exploration, action and adventure for all ages was the unanimous verdict on Culture Night Belfast 2011 at the colourful programme launch at the Premier Inn last week.

At the launch, guests got a sneak preview of some of the thrilling events and activities on offer for the third Culture Night Belfast, which will take place across the city centre and beyond on Friday 23 September. Organisers revealed a packed programme and promised a beguiling evening of gigs, games, choirs, comedy, debates, dancing, poetry, exhibitions, theatre, street performers, taster tours and workshops plus the first ever Culture Night Parade.

Organisers of the city’s landmark cultural date have delivered a bespoke, interactive evening of entertainment and discovery for all the family throughout the historic Cathedral Quarter. Many more venues in other parts of the city are also taking part in a bid to make Culture Night 2011 the most memorable yet. Last year, over 15,000 people attended Culture Night Belfast’s 100 events. This year, organisers have planned over 160 activities and events, taking place in almost 100 venues. Organisations of all kinds, from churches to galleries, pubs to libraries, newspaper offices to barber shops are set to take part alongside artists and performers of all stripes in a much expanded line up.

Culture Night Belfast Manager Adam Turkington was warmly applauded at the launch as he announced a programme with a strong urban, community and interactive theme. Speaking at the launch Adam invited people to immerse themselves in the “full Culture Night experience”. He added:

“I’m delighted to say that there’s far too many activities of all kinds to single out individually. For us, Culture Night Belfast is a shared and joined-up experience, where you don’t quite know what you expect and there’s a surprise at every turn, on every street and in every building or space. People can come down and immerse themselves in an accessible evening of fun and adventure for kids and adults alike. We have a huge array of creative talent and vibrancy about our city. Culture Night Belfast is a huge and inclusive showcase of the very best of what we as a cultural capital have to offer.”

One of the signature highlights of this year’s Culture Night Belfast will be the first ever colourful Culture Night Parade which will form a centrepiece of the evening’s proceedings. Terri Hooley, godfather of NI punk and newly elected mayor of the Cathedral Quarter was sworn in during the launch of Culture Night Belfast and will head the evening’s festivities in an open top cavalcade.

Local icon Terri Hooley won by just a few hundred votes to beat off stiff competition from early outsider and Cathedral Quarter favourite Kathy Young. A gracious Mr Hooley thanked his supporters at the launch and was fulsome in his praise of both Kathy and fellow contender, playwright Martin Lynch.

Nelson McCausland, Minister for Social Development described Culture Night Belfast as a “must attend” event in the city’s burgeoning cultural calendar.

“Following its success in recent years, Culture Night has become ‘a must attend’ event in Belfast’s social calendar. Event organisers have worked extremely hard in bringing about this free, accessible and family based arts and culture event to Belfast. I have no doubt that the open house style activities which will be hosted throughout the evening, will be attractive to both new and existing audiences. Culture Night offers something for everyone.”

Mr McCausland added:

“I recognise the enormous contribution that event organisers in partnership with local businesses, have made to make this event successful. I am thankful to the contribution Culture Night and all the other arts organisations that have made and are continuing to make to the economic regeneration of the Laganside area. I would like to wish Culture Night every success for their event this year.”

Further highlights in a dizzying evening of highs include the Secret Urban Garden, a Musical Evening at St Anne’s Cathedral, a Street of Magic, Caravan Jam, Horrible Histories, Belfast Telegraph Tours, The Quare Big Egg, Comedy Soup, Story Sessions, Belfast Literary Taster Tours, Circus Snacks for Adults, Burlesque Tasters, Armagh Pipers, Kids Square, The Barber of Seville at Tivoli’s Barber, Crafty Convoy, Kids Gigs with Katy and the Carnival, St George’s Choristers, the Quare Big Egg and Art Cart Rap.

Noirin McKinney, Director of Arts Development, Arts Council of Northern Ireland described Culture Night Belfast as “unmissable”. She added:

“Culture Night is fast becoming an unmissable annual event in the Belfast calendar. It’s a perfect match for public funding from the Arts Council as it helps us increase access to the arts for everyone in a unique way. By opening their doors and inviting the public to dozens of free events and performances, our arts organisations are making a significant contribution to the cultural tourism offering in Belfast and at a time when our economy needs it most”.

Now in its third year, Culture Night Belfast 2011 will run in tandem with 27 other similar events across Ireland on the evening of 23 September, making it part of a genuinely island-wide phenomenon. Inspired by its remarkable success over the past two years, Culture Night Belfast is formally joined for the first time by other regions in the north, including Strabane and Derry.

Director of Marketing & Events for Northern Ireland Tourist Board Susie McCullough said:

“Events like Culture Night reflect the diversity and culture of Northern Ireland and help generate a genuine ‘feel good’ factor for everyone to enjoy. Whether in urban Belfast or in rural towns and villages cultural events have a unique and direct impact on civic pride, reputation and the ability of Northern Ireland to deliver a competitive advantage for tourism. With visitors looking for more authentic and hands-on tourism experiences, Culture Night animates our destination and the entertaining programme of events on offer will provide both the visitor and locals alike with a truly memorable experience.”

Before handing over his civic chain of office to Terri Hooley in the mock mayoral ceremony which closed the launch, the real Lord Mayor of Belfast Cllr Niall Ó Donnghaile praised Culture Night organisers for an impressively inclusive evening of events.

“In just three years, Culture Night Belfast has become widely celebrated as an evening that all communities, visitors and people of all ages and all backgrounds can participate in. It is wonderful to see how many city centre spaces and places offer cultural highlights.

“It is also great to see that – inspired by the success of Belfast – there are now a number of other Culture Nights taking place across the north on 23 September this year. It’s also encouraging to have 28 other Culture Nights following on across the island simultaneously that evening and that Belfast is so strongly and impressively represented. I congratulate the Culture Night Belfast team for organising a genuinely exciting and inclusive programme. I firmly believe that not only will we be hosting one of the best Culture Nights in Ireland on 23 September, but we will also be putting on an evening to remember in Belfast for everyone.”

We’re into the final furlong of this merry meander toward somebody landing the highest chain of office in the land. Well, some land.

Still undecided who to vote for as Mayor of the Cathedral Quarter? Unsure whether four eyes is better than one? Or whether a beard and corduroy ensemble might lend more gravitas to the position of mayor than a clean-shaven girl? Or have the candidates already blown or guaranteed their chances or getting your ‘X’?

In a last chance to review our electorally frisky list, we float a brief reminder of each candidate and their distinctly minty credentials. Next stop: Culture Night Belfast Launch, Premier Inn, Thurs 1 Sept at 11am. Join us for the unveiling of the first mayor of the Cathedral Quarter.

View the profiles:
Terri Hooley
Kathy Young
Martin Lynch

The backbiting, in-fighting and politicking starts here: The race is on to become the first ever Lord Mayor of the historic Cathedral Quarter in time for this year’s Culture Night Belfast.

Vote for Mayor on our Facebook page.

The three candidates for this highly prestigious and only slightly unofficial title were unveiled at press conference today on the old cobbles of Commercial Court, in the symbolic heart of the area widely regarded as the cultural hub of the city.

The recognised alternative mayor of Belfast Terri Hooley, founder of Good Vibrations records, godfather of NI punk and all round living legend announced his candidacy with the following simple but strident statement: “It’s a bit early in the morning for this sort of thing, but it’s about time we had a mayor in this area – me. Vote early, Vote often but no matter who gets in I will still be the Alternative Lord Mayor.”

Pouring scorn on Hooley’s claim to be the “people’s favourite”, fellow candidate, acclaimed playwright and long-time advocate of the Cathedral Quarter Martin Lynch was in ebullient mood. In his statement, delivered in a live link up from Dublin, where he had suddenly taken off to for the day on “urgent business”, Mr Lynch announced his candidacy. He said that he felt he had “no choice” but to stand for the coveted position and outlined some key electoral pledges, including the promise to dine in every single eating house in the district over his 52 week tenure as mayor and demanded to: “see a certificate from my opponent to prove he was, indeed born in the country – or indeed born at all and not invented.”

The award-winning author of Dancing Feet added:
“As candidate for Lord Mayor of Cathedral Quarter, if elected, I will take my duties very seriously. My campaign slogan will be – **** HOOLEY, VOTE LYNCH.”

Final candidate and dark horse in the race to be the first Mayor of the Cathedral Quarter is Kathy Young. An administrator with the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, the decidedly more youthful and female Ms Young dismissed any suggestions she was standing as proxy for popular local figure and – coincidentally – director of the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival and – further coincidence – committee member of Culture Night Belfast Sean Kelly.

Ms Young set out her agenda very clearly, citing her youth, enthusiasm and the fact that she wasn’t Terri Hooley or Martin Lynch.

“We’ve had these middle-aged egomaniac men running things in the area for years. It’s time for fresh blood, youthful vigour and a bit of diversity at the helm of the Cathedral Quarter. We’re talking about the future of the area, not wallowing in the past. While these two snipe at each other, I’ll be happy to talk about how we can improve things for everybody in the Cathedral Quarter and draw positive attention.”

Joining the candidates on the hustings, the real Mayor of Belfast Niall Ó Donnghaile expressed his support for the runners, but declined to name his favourite. Cllr Ó Donnghaile added:

“Culture Night will be a fun and memorable night for all ages. The Cathedral Quarter is regarded as the unofficial cultural capital of Belfast – and so I think it is a great idea that the Culture Night organisers have that it’s only right that it has an unofficial Mayor. I’m looking forward to their ‘election campaigns’ – maybe they can teach us politicians a few tricks – and to announcing the winning ‘candidate’, to see if they will give me a run for my money!”

The gloves are now off, and the battle begins for the inaugural mayoralty of the Cathedral Quarter. The candidates will come together later this month for a formal leaders debate chaired by William Crawley, where they will have an opportunity to field questions and give voters the chance to put them through their paces..

The mayoral race for the Cathedral Quarter forms part of the run-up to this year’s Culture Night Belfast, which takes place on 23 September in the Cathedral Quarter and beyond.

The new Mayor of the Cathedral Quarter will be declared by the Lord Mayor of Belfast Niall Ó Donnghaile at the official launch of Culture Night Belfast on 1 September. The MCQ’s first ‘official’ duty will be to lead the celebrations at Culture Night Belfast on 23 September with an open-top cavalcade in the Culture Night Parade.

Vote for Mayor on our Facebook page.

Once again the Cathedral Quarter and beyond will be a-buzz with gigs, choirs, dance, poetry, exhibitions, theatre, street performers, taster tours, workshops, and more.

This year we hope to welcome more participating organisations, venues, churches, galleries and businesses and, most importantly, you and your family and friends to celebrate an unforgettable evening in Belfast.

Action, reaction, passion, artistry and style, though not necessarily in that order!, were the elements of the creation of Ulster’s only regular, dedicated, arts features and review television and radio programme series.

Entitled ‘artery>’ (in 2002) by its creator, Royce Harper. Knowing art, music and culture were neither an exclusive, nor expensive aside to life in this corner of Ireland, but the pumping lifeblood of feeling, thinking folk! “True culture, music and art are not only the present wonders, but the future hope of progressive people “

Poet, artist and performer, Royce Harper, returned to Belfast, from London, to discover that BBC NI had ceased to produce a regular arts programme. Having been a regular contributor to earlier BBC arts programmes, Article Ten, Channel One etc, he made his own show, being naturally independent, reactive and believing an artist may be the best person to present the arts!

First aired as a (1 hour) radio show on NVRadio.
Northern Visions were awarded a license to broadcast in 2004 (television) Royce was asked to make the televisual version, aired from then, Royce has made over 100 full length arts documentaries, on what he describes as a budget of his bus-fare! (when BBC NI made 5!)

The revolution in the size, price, quality and technical mobility of camera and sound kit, alongside his passion for the arts made the production of such, so within reach, when even 5 or 6 years before, this would have been almost impossible. Royce gained a production award from NI Screen in 2006/7.

He now holds the largest and most all-encompassing archive of the living, contemporary arts in Ulster, having filmed painters, poets, sculptors, musicians, actors, dancers, performance artists, singers, printers….the list goes on. Many of the artists, whose work was first filmed for the artery, are now making serious waves in the art world internationally.

A special selection of these artists & work will be shown on screen (looped) as fresh and exciting as the day they were captured in the first exhibition of their work.

www.myspace.com/arterytvshow

PLAY POLAND FILM FESTIVAL 2011

Event opens Thursday 15th September 6 – 9p.m.
Closes Culture Night, Friday 23rd September at 9p.m.

Platform Arts proudly hosts Play Poland Film Festival 2011.
Event includes short Polish films and Polish film poster Exhibition.

“In order to deliver the unique experience this year’s film festival selection covers exclusively the most recent cinematic productions. Films presented at Play Poland have been carefully selected to be not only technically innovative but, first and foremost reflect important issues. Furthermore a number have been recognised and awarded at numerous Polish and International Film Festivals.” Polish Art Europe Ltd.

We will be screening Factual and Pseudo-documentary short films from 11 am to 9 pm.

See www.playpoland.org.uk for programme information.

Platform Arts: T.02890311301 E.platformarts@live.co.uk

2 rooms 4 DJs and a special guest

Room 1:Dj Alx & Dj 33: Dancehall/RnB/Soul/Hip-Hop
&
Special guest: Polish HIP-HOP legend

Room 2:Andrew Kenwell & Dj N Loco: Chart/House/Trance

Click here for the Facebook event page

Tony Kaluarachchi is Belfast’s best kept secret, partly because he doesn’t compromise and because his music is far from ‘easy listening’. He brings unique vocals and deep understanding of the fretboard to material spanning Latin-American, Jazz, 60s counterculture and 70s rock but, when interpreted by Tony they shed their skins and become something different; a genre that he invents as he blazes along. The words ‘raw talent’ are clichéd, but they define him.

www.tonykal.com

It is often said, the world is a small place, and Belfast is no exception, but what it lacks in scale it makes up in talent.
We present a series of short films that explore Belfast as key film inspiration, where the cultural life of the city is framed through a range of works from emerging local filmmakers Sexy Raygun, Bright Stem, Bandwidth and others, with many connections and crossovers made along the way.

Mute
What do you do when words fail you? A silent young woman arrives in Belfast with a backpack, a set of index cards and no money for a bed. A young man, slave to his digital watch, reads alone in the park. Can a written request and an act of faith change their lives? Mute explores how a relationship can develop when you take the talk away.
Starring Nick Lee and Colette Lennon with soundtrack by local artists Not Squares, Katie and the Carnival, Albrecht’s Pencil, and Isobel Anderson.

Dark Path
Music video to the title track from the Belfast based musician Isobel Anderson’s second album. The video reflects the intimate and personal sound of Isobel’s music as we follow her down the Dark Path in this enchanting tale.

Yeah!
Yeah! Is a music video constructed entirely out of found footage which was made for the Belfast based band Not Squares. It is best understood or described by this quote from Dick Hebdiges book Hiding in the Light:
‘there is no history, there is no contradiction – just random clashes and equally random conjunctions of semantic particles’

Detuned Vibes
Detuned Vibes is an experimental video exploring how visuals and audio can be developed in unison. The video was also made as a tribute to my friend Conor Shaw who passed away recently.

www.conanmcivor.com

Ikon brings “The Evangelism Project” to the streets of Belfast during Culture Night. It’s evangelism, but not as you have known it before. Look out for these anarchic street preachers… and get involved.

www.ikonbelfast.wordpress.com

The Hudson Bar opens it’s doors this weekend in Smithfield’s Gresham Street. Taking it’s name from Gresham Street’s old name of Hudson’s Entry or Lane, the venue operates on a very simple idea; Whiskeys, Ales and Disco.

So with our bottles stocked and our pumps in, the only thing we’re missing is the disco and there could be no other to kick us off than the boys from the mighty isodisco.

Two things are very apparent at an isodisco clubnight.

One, is that the DJs have a rather unhealthy obsession with disco music in all its forms. From the timeless evolutionary NYC sounds of Studio 54 and the Paradise Garage, through the italo, dub-disco, soul and NRG sounds of the 80′s right up to the more contemporary cuts & polished re-edits of dancefloor favorites and disco-based house beats – you’ll hear them all at isodisco.

Two, is that disco really is undeniably brilliant.

Over the past number of years, isodisco has been instrumental in leading the resurgent charge of disco vibes in a large number of Belfast clubs and bars, in addition to holding down long-standing residencies. As well as providing support for the likes of Toby Tobias, Prins Thomas, Justin Robertson and Carl Craig, isodisco DJs have also hosted headline guests that include Mark E, The Revenge, Eddie C and the cream of Northern Ireland house, disco and balearica DJ talent.

If none of that means much to you, fret not – know that the music will. Expect tracks you’ll know, some you won’t, most of which you’ll love and a lot that will make you want to dance like nobody’s watching.

Facebook – Hudson Bar

www.isodisco.com

2nd September to 24th September 2011

‘I can’t go on. I’ll go on.’ is an exhibition of work by artist Ursula Burke for PS2 Gallery, Belfast.

Burke’s intention is to promote a re-reading of contemporary representations of Ireland and Irishness. For this exhibition, she has created as series of porcelain sculptures and embroideries that offers wry, provocative and sometimes humorous representations drawn from a matrix of socio-political concerns.

Inspired by the work inside which deals with hybrid representations of Irishness, the outside will be the safe environment to try your own skills on a turntable with wet clay. From cottage to cow, from shamrock to elves, get your hands dirty and make your own figure, chimney pipe or dolmen sheep.

www.pssquared.org

Swing by to enjoy some of the best of local folk and roots music and see how many beards, banjos, double basses and bodhráns we can fit into a four birth caravan.

www.openhousefestival.com

www.feilebelfast.com

With last year’s interactive circle including over 180 participants who drummed and sang their way through a fantastic session, he aims to make it 200+ this year, with special guests to spice it up!

www.thegatheringdrum.com

20.00 – 22.00

Current proposals for the listed North Street Arcade, Donegall Street, involve complete demolition of its interior, i.e. arcade. This projection by the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society and Belfast Exposed celebrates this highly unusual building, which housed 23 arts groups and businesses when it suffered arson attack in April 2004. UAHS is lobbying for its reinstatement.

With thanks to the Belfast Unemployed Resource Centre.

The idea for Forestay Sloop was conceived specially for Culture Night 2011 in response to the existing linear design and poetry engraved in the stones at Writers Square.

Created from many meters of fabric, Forestay Sloop invites the viewer to come and take part, in its swathes and folds, slung and stretched amongst the trees in the midst of Cathedral Quarters’ urban landscape.

1. Brian Mullan art exhibition – ‘Knot Nouveau’ (Starts at 6.30pm)
Brian Mullan was born in Belfast 1952, he possesses a driven energy that needs to be exposed on to canvas.
Early influences which affected Brians passion to be a artist include Chagall, Francis Bacon and the French Impressionists, particuarly, Van Gogh

This current exhibition of work ‘Knot Nouveau’, is inspired by the influence of Klimt, and is a homage to the combination of celtic design and the female form.

2. Stevie Scullion and Alice McCullough Host A Musical Feminist Stitch N Rhyme:
Join Belfast Feminist Network for a night of magical, musical wonder and art. Alice McCullough will lead a poetry slam which draws out hidden and beautiful experiences of the life of women and Stevie Scullion (Cat Malojian) a contemporary singer songwriter from Lurgan town, will share his magical music and lyrics which draw out aspects of the society in which we live. Sit back and relax and take part in some guerrilla knitting with the Handmade Brigade and Belfast’s Guerilla Knitters. Guerrilla Knitting is an art based expression of thoughts and action which is similar to graffiti. It is not permanent or destructive but allows you to make visual and creative statements using the power of wool.

Times: Guerrilla Knitting from 8pm onwards…
8pm Poetry Slam led by Alice McCullough local artist and poet (kick off properly about 8.15pm)
9.30pm Music by Stevie Scullion (formerly Cat Malojian

www.facebook.com/groups/352243777447/

Belfast’s best magicians will be stationed along Gordon Street, proffering magic tricks to Culture Night punters. Prepare to be amazed as they baffle you with card tricks, bewitch you with sleights of hand and bemuse you with close-up magic of all sorts.

www.caolanmcbride.com

Martin also works as a sound designer and audio engineer for theatre, film and animation Recent work includes sound design for Accidental Theatre, composition and sound foley for Crucible Pictures. He has also recently performed and recorded with the Queens University Belfast Ensemble for improvised music, Fragile Human Organs, Hexxed, electronic outfit IGLUW and his own Doctor Lilt solo project. Martin has shared stages with Scroobius Pip, Space Dimension Controller, Telepathe, Altar of Plagues, Katatonia, Chris Corsano (Bjork tour drummer) and many more.

In 2010 Martin spent a year sober and documented the experience on his blog and managed to raise a bit of money for UK mental health charity “”SANE”". In 2011 Martin decided to give himself a different kind of challenge…

Song A Day For A Year started January 1st 2011.

The rules are fairly simple: Everyday throughout 2011, Martin must write an original song and upload it to his website. www.songadayforayear.com

The songs can be any length, or style of music, but must be original and must not be ‘cover’ versions or ‘remixes’.

Songs must be created between midnight and midnight of each day (so there’s no writing lyrics on Monday and recording the guitars on Tuesday for Wednesday’s song, for example). Each day has to be a brand new piece of music!

Martin also regularly collaborates with other musicians as part of the project, to help keep the output interesting for the audience and share the creative process with like minded people. Recent collaborations have included Justin Yang (composer and PhD student at QUB), Rachel Austin (American singer/songwriter now based in Belfast), John D’Arcy, Steve Mc Cann and many more!

After spending a week in London recently, Martin collaborated with a selection of musicians and artists there.

The Song A Day For A Year project has also been to Brighton, Galway and Sligo.

All the songs are available to listen to for free online and listeners can download digital versions of the tracks individually or in collections of monthly albums. Each song that is uploaded has an original image attached and a short blurb about how it came to be. The downloaded monthly albums include all this artwork, text and lyrics.

www.songadayforayear.com

The content of the films tends to be a consequence of where he is and, occasionally, where he places himself. Much of his work engages directly with place: his only initial strategy is to forget and film the social and cultural environment.

Working primarily with video and sound, Harahan aims to maintain an open and intuitive experimental process to the initial cultural, social and experiential fragments that inform the films. He is interested in film-making that is about looking, recording before thought, the visual consequence of an absent minded gaze in response to the world; locating oneself, locating others – mapping emotional and intellectual spaces, being part of the moving mass; the accumulation of meanings in the dislocation of the familiar, where narratives recede in the minutiae of gesture and sound.

The work takes the form of experimental documentary, films of found activity, referencing the point where inner and outer realities intersect.

www.thethirdspacegallery.com

Discover exciting new poetry and fiction as Irish Pages: A Journal of Contemporary Writing readings by new and emerging writers from Belfast and beyond. Readings take place on the half hour.

Irish Pages is a biannual journal, publishing, in equal measure, writing from Ireland and overseas. It is a non-partisan, non-sectarian, culturally ecumenical, and wholly independent journal. It seeks to create a novel literary space in the North adequate to the unfolding cultural potential of the new political dispensation.

Organized by the Irish Pages Interns.

www.irishpages.org

Throughout the evening, they will be presenting their series of intriguing Five Minute Mysteries, challenging the audience to solve the murder before the great detectives, as well as several full-length suspense plays.

Along with occasional messages from their sponsors, songs, and trails, Wireless Mystery Theatre are ‘going live’ all night.

Twenty minutes on air, twenty minutes off air

www.wirelessmysterytheatre.com

www.mt4uth.com

Venue;
BELFAST EXPOSED PHOTOGRAPHY – Project Space
The Exchange Place, 23 Donegall Street, Belfast, BT1 2FF

Exhibition opens Tuesday, September 20th 2011 at 6.00pm
Exhibition continues until September 24th 2011

The City as Light is a photographic and short film project created by the young people
of the Newlodge and in collaboration with artist Ursula Burke. The theme of identity is
explored from the participants unique perspective, growing up in inner city Belfast.
The work created offers an interesting opportunity to view images created by young
who attempt to represent themselves.

‘Growing Up In Unity’ is a digital arts project chosen, designed and produced by young
people from Carrickhill in partnership with artists Michelle Nolan and Duncan Ross. For
this exhibition the young people created a website which hosts a variety of new media
content reflecting the participant’s experience of life in the area. It includes video
portraits, interviews with local residents, an interactive map of Carrickhill and a
collection of local jokes, stories and anecdotes.

Newlodge Arts would like to thank Belfast Exposed Photography for kindly hosting this exhibition
and the young people who participated.

NEWLODGE ARTS
5 Churchill St
Belfast
BT15 2BP

+44 2890 742 255
+44 2890 351 326

www.newlodgearts.com

He is a global expert on Quartz Composer co-authoring the first every book on this graphical programming language which allows live audio and social media interaction in his performances.

At Culture Night he will be creating a unique 3d projection mapped piece of live art, incorporating live twitter feeds and powerful visual communication to create exciting interactive installation.

www.shakinda.com

In celebration of Culture Night and the Finale of International Peace Week, Beyond Skin presents an evening of live world music and art.
No passport needed, as we bring the world to you.

www.beyondskin.net

On this night CAJ informed by you the public will draft a Charter of Cultural Rights for Northern Ireland 2011. Come along and learn more about the Right to Culture with this and other fun activities for all ages.

www.caj.org.uk