Belfast Stories

European Heritage Open Days (EHOD) 2024 Heritage Captured photography competition.

Did you visit the Belfast Stories site over EHOD weekend? Did you take any fab pics you’d like to show off? Why not enter this fun competition? https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/articles/european-heritage-open-days Entries close this Monday, 30 September.

Good luck – we’d love to see your snaps too!

Belfast City Council Love Heritage NI

Belfast Stories continues to gather momentum. Yesterday it was announced that Belfast City Council has appointed Ralph Appelbaum Associates to develop the interpretive masterplan and concept design for the visitor experience element.

Barker Langham will support as Curator and Interpretation Planner. Deputy Lord Mayor Councillor Andrew McCormick, said: “It is wonderful that the ambition we have for Belfast Stories is matched by the teams appointed to transform this much-loved heritage site into a dynamic public space, visitor experience and creative hub that holds the potential to transform our city Centre.”

Join us for the public launch of the Brink! on the Belfast Stories site this Saturday, June 22nd and Sunday, June 23rd.

Grow has partnered with Brink! on the ‘A Growing Story’ project, and we’re excited to see this event come to life.

No better place to be this Summer Solstice weekend—you don’t want to miss it!

Find out More: https://www.playthinkbrink.com/blog/brink-summer-solstice

Belfast City Council

Join Drift in sharing your story! Their Open Call is now live, focusing on the three areas of the River Lagan. Submissions are open until June 30th. They'd love to hear from you!

Drift have been busy working away quietly off grid, designing the DRIFT Space, preparing workshops, engaging with various communities along the river and finding creative solutions for the complexities of building something on the water.

Their Open Call is now live relating to the three areas of the River Lagan we are working on. Check the link in our bio for more details and make your contributions until the 30th of June. They'd love to hear from you! Your stories and memories are vital to shaping the project! We can’t wait to know what untold stories of the river they might find 😊💧

Drift are working with the amazing Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen's who will create fictional stories that will draw upon the tales and memories that you submit. The performances of these stories will contribute to the activation of the floating DRIFT structure at a series of Listening Sessions scheduled throughout the summer.

The BUG (Belfast’s Urban Garden) has officially opened at our site on Union/Kent Street!

We were delighted to host pupils and garden enthusiasts today who potted sunflowers and planted vegetables inside The BUG polytunnels, whilst also learning more about this free opportunity to enjoy connecting with nature and creating community right in the heart of Belfast city centre.

Tended to by The Conservation Volunteers, The BUG will help to enhance biodiversity, combat pollution, and improve the city centre’s overall appeal and liveability, whilst also supporting participants’ wellbeing through horticulture and conservation workshops.

This meanwhile project also communicates the value of Belfast Stories as a gathering place for everyone in the lead up to opening in 2029.

Find out more: https://bit.ly/3WpQcDt

Belfast 2024 - The Bank of Ideas – information and brainstorming

We are delighted to be supporting the Belfast 2024 ‘The Bank of Ideas’ project! There are a number of sessions available for you to attend but on the 23rd April you can come along to a behind the scenes tour of the Belfast Stories site and iconic Bank of Ireland building on Royal Avenue, after the site visit you can head down to 2 Royal Avenue where the Belfast 2024 team will support you to come up with your own creative ideas for your part of the city!

Do you have an idea for something creative you would like to make happen in your local area, or even the initial spark of an idea? As part of Belfast 2024, you are in with the chance of getting up to £2,000 to make it happen!

Book Now for Free: https://bit.ly/4aECTTS

Belfast City Council Belfast 2024

Last week marked a milestone for us as we opened our doors on our very first Belfast Stories Network event.

We enjoyed hearing from everyone who attended and look forward to more events like this in the future. Here’s to building our network and creating opportunities for open conversation!

Network No.2 will happen later in 2024 so keep an eye out for details on our socials.

Looking to be creative?

Come along and join us for the FREE Match Box City Workshop 🎨🖌

Wednesday 7th February 12.30pm-2.30pm

Book now 👇 https://www.4cornersfestival.com/festival-events/match-box-city/?fbclid=IwAR0tuJvLFFRUhfFgKw15XWD1StvlfgxcMWbW1XnNmavb1InDOE3OVJ-yMwc

Match Box City Workshops 🎨🖌
Wednesday 7th February 12.30pm-2.30pm
2 Royal Avenue

Join this free creative arts workshop which explores the connection between our memory and places or spaces in Belfast!

Each participant is invited to add their own matchbox memory to build an alternative cityscape 🏙

This project is supported by Belfast Stories as part of 4 Corners Festival Belfast

Free event, booking required. Book now 👇 https://www.4cornersfestival.com/festival-events/match-box-city/

Belfast City Council Visit Belfast Belfast One MayWe Belfast Stories

Interested in creative writing and story telling?

Why not join us at the FREE Craic & Chronicles workshop at 2 Royal Avenue between 4pm - 6pm.

Book here https://www.4cornersfestival.com/festival-events/craic-and-chronicles/?fbclid=IwAR3PCWvlq_e6HCxV7tQP9lyZNDrxrwD3SsPN6J6kZJtXP43067WQdHeNMGI

Craic & Chronicles 🎶📖
Tuesday 6th February 4pm-6pm
2 Royal Avenue

Enjoy an evening of drop-in creative workshops including creative writing, storytelling and craft as part of 4 Corners Festival Belfast 🖊

Soak in the social atmosphere with light refreshments, accompanied by a performance of musical storytelling 🎵📚

This project is supported by Belfast Stories

Free Event. Booking required. Book here https://www.4cornersfestival.com/festival-events/craic-and-chronicles/

Belfast City Council Belfast One Visit Belfast MayWe

Do you want to volunteer for Belfast Stories? We are Open today at 2 Royal Avenue from 17.00 to 19.00 🥳

Do you want to volunteer for Belfast Stories? If you’re looking for a volunteering opportunity in Belfast for which you will learn new skills, meet new people and listen to stories from the people in your city, this may interest you.

Do you want to volunteer for Belfast Stories? If you’re looking for a volunteering opportunity in Belfast for which you will learn new skills, meet new people and listen to stories from the people in your city, this may interest you.

Want to become a Story Gatherer for Belfast Stories? Come along on the 22nd of January to find out more.

Belfast Stories Volunteer Application Form Do you want to volunteer for Belfast Stories? Sign up to take part!

Arborist | ft Maria McManus & Errigal Ensemble | Whisper Project #10 A Whisper Project with an audience.. New territory! I was beyond delighted to be asked to create something in conjunction with Starling Start & Belfast Stori...

Following a 12-month-long international competition, led by Belfast City Council and supported by RIBA, we are delighted to reveal the team selected to deliver the next phase of the Belfast Stories project. More information here - https://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/News/Design-team-appointed-for-Belfast-Stories-project

𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬 - 𝐍𝐨 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐬

"From a young age I've always been interested in books. I think one of the strongest book memories I have of Belfast was when I was old enough to go to the local library at the top of the Shankill Road.

It was a joy to be able to go down there and borrow books by myself.

When I left school I went straight into work, I didn't go to university until I was in my mid-twenties. When I finished university, I got a job in Queen's bookshop and very quickly realised this was something that I enjoyed. After seven years there I decided to take control of my own book-selling destiny and in 1997 I opened my own shop, No Alibis.

There's always something going on, be it through the bookshop, with book events, or be it through different literature and arts festivals in Belfast. It's all very healthy on the literary scene, and what's really motivating for us is that there's lots of young people who are now writing.

I think the beauty of a bookshop is that quite often people will go in there to get some sense of quiet and release in their own time. We always try to create a sense of respectable calm.

Everything that we try do in the shop is very much focused on local writing, and local writers.

The connection that we have with Queens University and the Ulster University along with numerous local Arts group and Organisations other has been crucial in helping us exist and flourish.

If a local bookshop can't stock local authors or can't promote local authors, what's the point in being a local bookshop? We try emphasise the fact that these writers are all from this part of the world."