Public art in the community programme
The Arts Unit of the Upper Springfield Development uses public art as a tool for community development. The Arts Unit is now implementing the West Belfast Public Art Strategy.
Examples of recent projects include:
- Labyrinth – Exciting public art project based on the theme of environment and unplanned urban exploration.
- Gate Exchange – Through contemporary art in the community, local disabled people from either side of the interface creatively addressed issues of barriers which they face in everyday life, using the physical barrier of the North Howard Street Interface as a pivotal symbolic site to showcase their work.
- Spaces for Places on the former Andersonstown RUC barracks site. This enabled the disabled youth to think creatively about their environment and how we inhabit it. This resulted in a temporary public art showcase of temporary dwellings, such as tents, huts and a mobile cinema.
- Trails and Tales – a public art in the community project resulting in the Alternative Upper Springfield Xmas Annual- interdenominational tales of feast days.
- Through the Gates – resulted in a giant art ping-pong game, with individually designed bats, through the peace wall security gates at North Howard Street interface. This engaged Protestant, Catholic and refugee children to creatively addressing real & perceived barriers which they face in everyday community life.
- Brewery’s Wake – based on the legacy of the recently demolished Bass Ireland brewery, which resulted in a public art showcase in the Falls Park. This was an old Irish wake house to mark the passing of the brewery.
- Dreamscapes – a creative response to the rapidly changing environment of West Belfast resulting in a public art showcase in the Falls Park
- Enagage in Art-Age – A multi artform project for older people, culminating in a public art showcase on the old Andersonstown Barracks site
- Springhill garden of Reflection – the re-design of an anti social hotspot into a sculptural garden of reflection that is now used for community events.
Upper Springfield Development Trust’s Public Art in the Community Programme strives to bring public arts to the streets of the Upper Springfield and West Belfast by placing arts as a key driver in community development, creating a culturally dynamic, attractive, safe environment.
- Charlotte Bosanquet
- Deborah Malcomson
- Brenda Murphy
- Anthony Champa
- Ursula Burke
This is delivered through a multi-dimensional approach to participation, artistic collaboration, audience engagement and creative use of space. , a programme of participatory public art in the community projects using quality innovative art forms and approaches to engage the most marginalised people in our community with artists, both as participants in workshops, and as audiences at public art showcases.
We engage nine local groups annually in participatory arts programmes that are creative, cultural and educationally stimulating. They all result in arts activities that promote the positive use of open space. They also raise awareness of relevant issues and topics such as;
- Health and well being including mental health
- Suicide awareness
- Disability issues
- Issues affecting young people
- Issues affecting older people
- Isolation
- Vandalism and graffiti
- Anti social/ community behaviour
- Local history, heritage and legacy
- Interface issues
- Integration issues
- Positive use of the environment
- Skills developed within the community have included mosaic and ceramics, mural painting, wood carving, creative writing and storytelling, sculptural knitting with re-cycled materials, comic book art, book making, candle making, stone carving and performance art.
- E-mail Address: Deirdre.mackel@usdt.co.uk
- TEL no: 028 90236677
- Carnegie Trust’s Pride in Place – Tackling Incivilities Report, Springhill Garden of Reflection, Belfast – Pride in Place: Tackling Incivilities Case Study
- Creative Transformations: Conversations on Determination, Risk, Failure and Unquantifiable Success
?>
