Cultural Rioting in an Alternative Belfast

I just got back from I just got back from holiday where I was exploring other cultural experiences outside our small country. When I got there I got asked the usual questions you get when you say your from Northern Ireland. i.e. "Are your you British or Irish?" I hate those question, I usually think its someone in disguise from Belfast trying to catch me out so they can stab me while I sleep on the top bunk of a 'triple' bunk bed.

When I got back to Belfast the first thing I read in the paper that there was again violence on the streets of Belfast. Not about religion or politics- But football. Its great we have moved on from the primal urge to hate and kill someone because of their politics or religion. Now we want to to do it on the grounds of football. Well done! We are moving up the hatred ladder and becoming more like every other major European city. Even though we are the 8th smallest in Europe we can pack a lot of hate.

I missed the meteor shower the other days because I was sleeping. I heard there was small lights floating across the sky. Nice.

The alternative forum for Belfast has got a summer school which was on last week. Fidel "Hackett" is taking the Urban design and mapping. Which probably ended in a lot of 'beardyness'.

Belfast art scene and more....

....the cultural experience continues.

Several major things happened over this week the first was that Derry got City of Culture.:Well done to them. I heard that there are banjos singers on the streets having a shin dig. Sounds like good fun, I will hopefully make it up there for some cultural delights. Transbelfast is going strong with more happening around the City including hanging laturns and hanging gardens coming from "out of place" gallery (on the same street as the 02 shop on Corn Market).

One of UrbanLanders images was featured in the Irish News as part of the article on Terri Hooley :"Punk Godfather could bring good vibes to the city hall". Five minutes of photoshop can go along way.

I was walking home the other day through the holylands at 1am. Bad mistake, a load of people were throwing glass at a wall across the street. They then starting shouting at me when I walked past. Too many Canterbury bottoms about for my liking. I could have taken on 3 of them on but not all 6 of them. Stuff I missed this week includes the Moochin's exhibition at the waterfront. Would have been a good night with all the work being free to take. I never got a chance to go to Ashleigh Manor either for some fun. Im now on Twitter @Urbanlander

Transbelfast 2010 and other artistic endeavours’....

Transbelfast has definitely hit the streets! It was only this morning that I saw a Plant Parade hitting the streets of Belfast. It was like something out of Inception. The movable garden was by Janis Steadman - she had also run workshops over the past week. I heard later in the day that 'the movable garden' finished off in a secret garden in the middle of "The station" gallery (not much of a secret). I hope to check it out this week -If that building ever gets opened!

The opening night of Pii Anttila went well with some interesting situations happening in the gallery and with some interesting job prospects . That's what happens when you give your number to anyone in Belfast. The office is down at Ps2 gallery and worth a check out.

The big event this weekend was Base: International Street Art and Music Festival at St Anne's Square. A lot of graffiti going on and some sweet beats. I missed the first band but Panama Kings and The Amazing Few I got to see. It was the first time I heard these bands and was definitely worth the free entrance fee. The amount of people at the event was small which was probably due to the earlier rain. The Eventsec staff seemed relaxed but looked weather beaten due to the previous weeks Oxygen antics (Stab proof vests optional).

I really liked Graham Dews (See Above) simple layering technique. Awe- inspiring. Other graffiti artists included RedMonk, Dog Boy and Bad Seed (see above for Image).

The usual Belfast artisan types were wandering around the event,wearing ladies leather Jackets and shades, and the guys wearing beards and heavy rimmed classes. (See Left). Fun Times.

The event continues tomorrow (Sunday) with music, Black books and magic in the City. Why do people try and convert me in the street? Do they think I need saved?

The art continues....

Late Night Art: Review

Last Thursday was late night art. The crew got together -first stop was the Naughton gallery checking out the work by CETL(NI): The Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in the Creative and Performing Arts at Queen's. It was dead when we got there. It was around 6.30 when we arrived. There were some visuals using light and long camera exposures.

Met up with some more mates at 7.00 at the Ormeau Baths Gallery:again it was completely dead. Couldn't believe it we were the only people there.:Where were you? It was the work by T.P Flanagan-the ground floor is a must see if you like water colour drawings of bowls. The exhibition is on till 17th of July.

The final art stop was SpaceCraft gallery were the redbull flowed. The ceramics were looking good as always. The small 30+ individual hand made bowls were one of my favorites. T. P Flanagan would be loving it. I couldn't stay longer at the culture night as I was playing basketball against another crew.

After leaving the comfort blanket of artyness, I was nearly beaten up. He was a hard lad (see above for reconstruction) with a sports bag and it was all because I was showing off my basketball skills outside Castlecourt. The confrontation goes as follows "Stop bouncing the ball" I replied "Say please" long drawn out silence "You better move" reply "ok" as I left the area feeling kojaked.

That's the last time I try to look "street" with hard lads about. I saw him the other day wearing a jazzy shirt- he looked as tough as Julian Simmons.

Tried to get into the platform gallery to see the SPOOM collectives work today. It wasn't open -does anyone know if and when it opens during the week??!

Looking forward to transbelfast's/Qft's Weeft next week, Out of Place gallery and the girl at the Ps2 gallery is looking for a job this week. I hope I will see you people about at the next cultural experience.

Protest in the Streets of Belfast

What is this: Protest against the Bill 37 (Public assemblies bill) which prevents protests and public gatherings taking place unless permission is given 38 days in advance or 3 days permission given by the police if it is an emergency.

Where was it: Meeting at the University of Ulster's Buoy Park

When I got there, there was a crowd of over 60 people who from either a socialist party, communist party, or from a trade union. I thought there would have been more people concerned that the Local assembly was trying to change the fundamental rights to protest.

The march took off at 12:30 on Saturday 23rd walking down Royal Avenue to the City Hall. Was great seeing all the City's traffic stop for 35minutes. I got stuck behind the a Trade Union banner-it was funny because I hadn't a clue who they where.

If the bill is passed public meetings and public art projects with more than 50 people will need permission. Bad Times

City is our factory and Pecha Kucha @ the Black Box: Review

"The city is our factory" was organised by the forum for an alternative Belfast and Ps2 gallery. The talk was by Christoph Schäfer (German) running through some of the main headings from his book :"This city is our factory". It was interesting and raised some issues similar to that of Dan Thompson at "Out of Place" a week before. The audience contained the same faces including the "artist maker" Wilfred Bramble look a like (left) who raised questions and made "artistic statements" time and time again. The architectural intelligentsia were sitting on the comfy chairs over to the right of the room including the el co Creator of alternative Belfast Mark Hackket. When the 4 intelligentsia guys started talking Wilfred started shouting back. Got a bit awkward a couple of times especially when the Nazi party and trade unions were mentioned a few times.

It was a good talk and interesting perspectives talked about on how people use the city and who owns it and how it can be used to its potential.

The talk went on a bit longer than I expected and I missed the first few people of the Pecha Kucha night. The first was the Bearded and moustached cladded duo Chris and Nik who talked about their website among other obsessions. The most 'chillaxed' talk was by Rob Durston and his Californian photographs. The best by far was Paul May's talk who took the stage like a comedian rather than a designer and got the biggest applause. Another favorite was Jamie Neely who didn't show any work either but gave a less serious Mr Keating (Dead Poets Society)esque speech about seizing the day.

The moral of the Pecha Kucha night is that it is better to be funny than show any real work!

The next Pecha Kucha night is in September See you then.

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!