Eileen Weir of the Greater North Belfast Women’s Network made a telling observation when I met her at the Shankill Women’s Centre. She said, “The sectarian divide only exists for men.” In her 20 years of experience organising cross-community women’s groups in Tiger’s Bay, the New Lodge, Rathcoole, and at the Barron Hall in Newtonabbey, she’s... Continue Reading →
Bassam
Bassam Aramin is a Palestinian who had been a Fatah Freedom militant and served seven years in prison in Israel. Years later, his 10-year-old daughter, Abir, was killed by an Israeli soldier, but amazingly he chose not to seek revenge. Instead he forgave and went on to co-found Combatants for Peace with Elik Elhanan, an... Continue Reading →
One magazine, many stories
Cultural diversity – who needs it? Community relations – you must be joking. Some people are opposed to mixing and most of us experience some fear, annoyance or hesitation when it comes to change or something different.Meat and two veg, no beans with my fry, traditional routs, ‘no’ to bike and bus routes, who is sitting... Continue Reading →
John Baucher: It is nothing new
You have previously shown a smaller collection of similar works at the Imagine! Festival for Ideas and politics in March. What makes this exhibition different, or is it simply a further exploration of the subject to a wider audience?The response from the works shown at Imagine! was so positive. It seemed like a good idea... Continue Reading →
Source Magazine: Thinking Through Photography - About Source
Source Magazine: Thinking Through Photography – About Source
Portfolio — A Pocket History of Northern Ireland
"And then there is the phenomenon known as Derry Girls. A television comedy written by Lisa McGee and set in Northern Ireland in the 1990s, it has been a runaway success both with the public and the critics. The show won the IFTA Gala TV Award for best comedy in 2018; McGee won the best... Continue Reading →
The polite rebel: Sheelagh Murnaghan
The polite rebel: Sheelagh Murnaghan by Allan LEONARD 3 October 2019 Sheelagh Murnaghan was the only Liberal Party MP (1961-69) in the Northern Ireland Parliament, representing the constituency of Queen’s University Belfast, which was the venue for a launch event of a new biography about her remarkable life. There were many Murnaghan family members in... Continue Reading →
Book review — Great Thinkers (The School of Life)
Great Thinkers is a compilation of 60 short essays -- about 1,500 to 3,000 words each -- published by The School of Life, which dedicates itself to “developing emotional intelligence through the help of culture”. It describes the book as a volume of some of the most important ideas of Eastern and Western culture, drawn... Continue Reading →
Book review — Anna Lo: The Place I Call Home
Book review: Anna Lo: The Place I Call Home by Allan LEONARD 15 August 2019 Anna Lo writes with a crisp and concise manner, demonstrating her fine skills in English that she makes reference to in her memoir. The Place I Call Home is a chronological story, from her childhood to current retirement. It gives... Continue Reading →
Reporting the Troubles: A swirl of emotions
Reporting the Troubles: A swirl of emotions by Allan LEONARD 6 August 2019 As part of the EastSide Arts Festival, the editors read from Reporting the Troubles, their book compilation of stories of the Northern Ireland conflict. Deric Henderson (former Ireland Editor of the Press) and Ivan Little (UTV, ITN, Belfast Telegraph) were joined by... Continue Reading →
Post-Agreement identity narratives: A photographic essay
The 1998 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement gives legal recognition to the coexisting and overlapping national citizenships in Northern Ireland, entitling those born in the jurisdiction to be British, Irish, or both. The devolved administration codifies the traditional political identities of “Unionist” and “Nationalist”, as well as an opportunity for “Others”. The accord has also pledged greater... Continue Reading →
“In my imagination, it was true”: Margins of Excess exhibition talk by Max Pinckers
“In my imagination, it was true”: Margins of Excess exhibition artist talk by Max Pinckers by Allan LEONARD 14 June 2019 As part of the Belfast Photo Festival, Belfast Exposed is hosting an exhibition of Margins of Excess, by Max Pinckers. The artist gave a talk about this project in the gallery, describing how he... Continue Reading →