Public art in the Community

In this Blog we have Deirdre Mackel telling us about public art in West Belfast and why it is important.

Public art in the Community

By

Deirdre Mackel

Arts Programme Manager

Upper Springfield Development Trust

I have always had a strong affinity for West Belfast as I was born here and have always lived here. So I am very passionate about the work that I do. Before starting my job as Arts Programme Manager for the Upper Springfield development Trust I worked as a freelance artist after graduating in Fine Art from the University of Ulster. I feel really privileged to be in a job where I can make a difference to peoples’ lives by bringing art right into the heart of the community.

What is integral to the work of the Public art in the Community Programme is the community participation. We run arts programmes that are very much shaped by the groups involved. Local people get the opportunity to work with various artists in a wide variety of artforms and the results of their work are publicly showcased and celebrated on the streets of Upper Springfield and West Belfast.

The ethos behind the programme has always been community development through art, using participative public art as a tool in physical regeneration.

The work is both cultural and issue based; for example we use art to raise awareness of suicide, car crime, etc. in a very positive and constructive way.

The project is now delivering on the West Belfast Public Art Strategy and a lot of the focus has been on participatory arts. The vibrant public artworks range from hand carved stone sculptures, artistic street furniture, murals and mosaics, to the more recent development of our temporary public art showcases, making positive use of open spaces throughout West Belfast. The project has gained a very high profile and received various awards.

                  

Some recent public art project examples include;

Dreamscapes

This Project aims to explore creative, aspirational responses to our rapidly changing urban environment through innovative approaches to participative arts. It provides a creative outlet, for people to reflect on changes in the environment and collectively express themselves through different forms of visual art.

The results of the project will be seen at a temporary public art showcase on the old Andersonstown Barracks site on 15^th March. This will be part of Féile an Phobail’s    Féile an Earraigh.

Brewerys Wake

We have been engaging local schools, groups and ex brewery employees in the Brewery’s Wake Public art in the community project. The project is using local history and participative arts to explore the legacy of the recently demolished Bass Ireland Brewery, one of the former largest employers in West Belfast.

Salvaged artefacts and photographs from the Brewery were used to generate creative discussion and ideas. A Brewery’s Wake house is being created and will be displayed at the public art showcase on the old Andersonstown Barracks site on 27^th March as part of Féile an Phobail’s Draíocht children’s’ festival.

Engage in Art Age

The aim of this project was to increase the quality of life of older people in our community by creatively addressing what it means to grow old, in West Belfast.

It consisted of workshops in visual art, storytelling and creative writing and resulted in an outdoor showcase of public art on the old Andersonstown RUC barracks site in October 2011.

It addressed issues which the older participants identified and the project provided a voice to creatively tell their stories through the written word and imagery.

This also resulted in a limited edition book with a foreword written by Gerry Adams and a further series of publications to be launched at a celebratory event in the Upper Springfield Development Trust on 3^rd February at 11.30 am.

Inter-Faces

Upper Springfield Development Trust Arts Team and Youth Teams, Féile an Phobail, Coiste and Divis Youth worked jointly on public art projects which have transformed a part of the North Howard Street Interface.

Each young person created their own design of their Pac-Man avatar face and all fourteen large scale faces are now installed on the palisade fencing at North Howard Street, straddling both sides of the Falls and Shankill interface.

This unique project has engaged young people from each side of the Interface. It has encouraged those young people to think about their own identities and the identities of others. It is also quite a humorous way for young people to portray themselves and their views of interfaces and the peace walls which are part of their everyday lives.

This project won the overall Public Arts Award in the West Belfast Environmental Achievement Awards.

I would like to thank the funders of the project for making all this work possible. These projects are funded by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. They are also funded by Department for Social Development’s Belfast Regeneration Office. The Engage in Art Age project was funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Arts and Older Peoples’ Programme.

Up and coming events:

The following public arts events are all open to the public and free of charge.

3^rd February Upper Springfield Development Trust, Book Launch of the Engage in Art Age Arts and Older Peoples’ creative writing book.

15^th March 2012 Dreamscapes Public Art Showcase on the old Andersonstown Barracks site.

27^th March 2012 Brewery’s Wake Public Art Showcase on the old Andersonstown Barracks site.

For details Tel  028 90236677

Email: deirdre.mackel@usdt.co.uk