Late night art: September Review

It all started last Thursday when I saw the Lord 'big head' Mayor himself outside the old Northern Bank on Donegal Street dancing with a carnival character. It lead me to the Cultural Night launch. As any good artist/revolutionary would do I decided to crash the party and grab as many free cocktail sausages as my stubby hands could take. I ended up staying for the entire event getting a great free lunch. I was looking out for Terri Hooley to see if he was going to take over the event with a coup. But no luck there. Lord "Big head" Mayor mumbled something about art and community, when everone knows that the only exhibition he has ever seen is in Stormont and the only community he knows is the one in Botanic Inns.

Later on that day the Late night art was on - I was disappointed to say the least. The only decent shows were Platform arts, Belfast Exposed and the Print Workshop. What was going on at Catalyst I am still not sure. No one was even checking out the art work, everyone was just hanging out at the balcony looking alternative. I left early with a disappointing night in all. I think everyone was saving the good stuff for the Culture night on the 24th of September (a Friday). Definitely worth checking out.

Lets make Terri Hooley the Lord Mayor of Belfast

Terri Hooley (left) is a local legend founder of Good Vibrations Records and maker of the Undertones. Recently his fame has increased with a film being made about Good Vibration records directed by Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Belfast D'sa. The most recent fame is the facebook campaign to make him the Lord Mayor of Belfast the campaign featured in the Belfast Telegraph and Sunday World.

However nothing seems to be happening to make this happen were are the anarchist riots and punk protests. Do we really need the same old type of Lord Mayor like Pat Convery (right).

Lets get the petitions and protests etc and get Terri Hooley as Lord mayor!

"Out of Place" on Castle Lane: Review

I was at the "Out of Place" launch on Castle Lane, Belfast. Dan Thompson who was one of the first to start the Empty Shops Network in England talked about how important it is for empty buildings to be taken over and used by creative people. His English accent, tweed jacket and large glasses reminded me of the Wayne Hemingway (a Uni of Ulster favorite).

It was exciting to here Dan speak on something which seems complicated and hard to undertake but it is probably his job to make it seem that way! Launchers of the event were bosom buddies Sammy Wilson and Lord Mayor Pat Convery. They both spoke of how using empty shops and buildings can help bring back the city to life. It would be good to hear of unused building being taken over by artists etc. A friend in Germany said this is normal practice particularly in areas that used to be East Germany. It is good to see Belfast is stepping up there game.

I remember a few years ago writing to a property owner about using there unused building for an art project but nothing ever came of it. Bad Times.

The food served after was really good with it being supplied by Bagelbagel. Good Times.