Peacebuilding a shared Northern Irish society
Open space photography at the Linen Hall Library by Allan LEONARD 31 May 2017 Gaining inspiration from viewing the archive postcard collection at the Linen Hall Library, a group of participants in a community photography workshop facilitated by Belfast Exposed set out to document their views of sharing and respecting open space in the city.... Continue Reading →
Softening images of Partition by Allan LEONARD 24 May 2017 Although John Irvine left Northern Ireland over 15 years ago, having grown up about East Antrim, he retains “strong links” and comes home frequently. Irvine explained how one morning drive accidentally led him to his book, Partition. Irvine picked up photography in his mid-20s, mainly... Continue Reading →
Then & Now: Belfast Blitz by Allan LEONARD 17 May 2017 In an apparent continuation of their Then & Now series, the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) has produced a new set of blended images that show the material destruction caused by the Belfast Blitz attacks (April-May 1941), alongside contemporary and more familiar... Continue Reading →
Stéphane Duroy: Selecting memories by Allan LEONARD 3 May 2017 A recent exhibition in Le Bal featured a retrospective of the work by Stéphane Duroy. Again and Again contained a selection of hung prints on the ground floor and an installation of his reworked book, Unknown, in the lower level. The prints displayed his wanderings... Continue Reading →
Review: The Enlightenment: A Very Short Introduction (John ROBERTSON) by Allan LEONARD for Mr Ulster 1 May 2017 The Enlightenment is one of Oxford University Press’s “Very Short Introductions” series; there are over 400 volumes. Written by experts, they “are for anyone wanting a stimulating and accessible way into a new subject”. Professor John Robertson’s... Continue Reading →
Everywhere is different but nevertheless is not unrecognisable by Allan LEONARD 25 April 2017 Of the treasure trove of prints and negatives held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), a relatively small selection of about 2,500 images are available to view on Flickr. This consists of three collections: the Allison Photographic Collection,... Continue Reading →
Of lying (and truth) in politics (SRF Radio 2)13 March 2017 Martin ALIOTH interviewed Allan LEONARD (Northern Ireland Foundation), journalist Jenny HOLLAND, and Enda YOUNG (Transformative Connections), for SRF Swiss Radio 2 programme, Context (audio extract (German)): Allan LEONARD, Jenny HOLLAND, and Enda YOUNG interviewed by Martin ALIOTH for SRF Swiss Radio programme, Context (audio... Continue Reading →
Le incertezze del’Irlanda del Nord (Swiss Radio RSI)2 March 2017 Lorenzo AMUSO reported from Belfast for Swiss Radio RSI, on the impending 2017 elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly. He interviewed Allan LEONARD (Northern Ireland Foundation), Alan MEBAN (@alaninbelfast), John McCORRY (North Belfast Partnership), and Brian FEENEY (St Mary’s College). Leonard said: “Although we’ve had... Continue Reading →
I found myself with spare time before the bus commute home, so I popped over to Belfast Exposed, where I knew there was a exhibition of participants in its Stage 3 training photography courses. Coincidentally, I discovered as I walked in that there was a session of portfolio reviews. About half a dozen tables on... Continue Reading →
I have read most of de Botton's books, and The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work took me the longest to finish, partly because I am a slow reader, but I blame more on the editing. The chapters are his brief immersions in ten jobs, across the professions. While absorbing his philosophical reflections was at times illuminating,... Continue Reading →
Failed It! by Erik Kessels is an easy read of his encouragement of embracing failure as a means of revealing a better discovery. He intersperses his quips with visual inspirations, from both the intentional (by seasoned artists) and the unintentional (by reconsidering the work of some amateurs). The strength of this short book is demonstrating... Continue Reading →
At the Ulster Museum, my method is to head straight to the lift and go to the fifth floor, avoiding the history sections; it's gotta be fine arts for me. My motivation today was the Francisco Goya exhibition, The Disasters of War, which I learned about in an art history module at university. I remember... Continue Reading →