From the Balcony
Breacadh an Lae
In the BBC to a radio piece on the Conrad Atkinson controversy.
At base, Professor Atkinson's Silver Liberties was a commentary on the use of armed troops in urban settings which, as a British person, he saw resulting in the slaughter of Bloody Sunday and then the creeping brutalisation of prisoners in British jails.
The news from Thailand reminds us that his point is as relevant as ever.
At base, Professor Atkinson's Silver Liberties was a commentary on the use of armed troops in urban settings which, as a British person, he saw resulting in the slaughter of Bloody Sunday and then the creeping brutalisation of prisoners in British jails.
The news from Thailand reminds us that his point is as relevant as ever.
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Only the Ulster Museum can dispel its own volcanic ash cloud
I always back the home side so you won't be surprised to hear (or will you?) that, after much consideration, I've voted for the Ulster Museum to win the prestigious Art Fund Prize.
But I do think the Museum needs to learn from the mistakes of the past, and show it has learnt, and commits itself to being truly inclusive. I spoke to Ulster Museum Director Tim Cooke last night at the IoD all-Ireland bash at City Hall and have been in touch also with that great hero of the peace process Conrad Atkinson. Conrad has spelt out why many art-lovers feel the Ulster Museum has failed to show the boldness required to win the Art Fund Prize — the Ulster Museum hasn't tried to rebut his unanswerable argument because it knows it committed the greatest wrong against the Cumbrian painter that you can commit against any artist: censor his work.
Conrad's Silver Liberties is the only major piece of conflict art banned by the Ulster Museum in its history. And yet, the same brave approach Conrad took to the drug thalidomide, to asbestos, to the use of landmines, made it inevitable that he would create works of art relating to Ireland which spoke out for justice and human rights.
However, like the museum's own version of volcanic ash, the censorship of Professor Atkinson's work is going to return again and again to dog the Ulster Museum until it does the decent thing. As with all peace processes, I've no doubt this one could benefit from some direct dialogue between Tim Cooke and Conrad Atkinson. Conrad wrote last year to the Museum to offer some of his seventies works but never got a reply. It's never too late, however for Tim to make that call.
In the short term, the Ulster Museum needs to commit to showing Silver Liberties by Conrad Atkinson, the monumental work opposing war and the brutalisation of civilians in Ireland and Britain, which was banned during the bleak year of 1978 by a crowd of know-nothings (some among the attendants, some among the trustees). In the medium term, it means ensuring that the powers-that-be help create a visual arts museum in West Belfast that tells the story of the peace. The Falls Road has more tourists than any other road in Belfast; visitors keen to hear the story of the war and peace. It's about time they had a top-class museum where they can see our story (from all sides) as told by artists who had the courage to tackle the issue of conflict and justice when it was much easier to do pictures of the Lagan.
Wish me luck.
But I do think the Museum needs to learn from the mistakes of the past, and show it has learnt, and commits itself to being truly inclusive. I spoke to Ulster Museum Director Tim Cooke last night at the IoD all-Ireland bash at City Hall and have been in touch also with that great hero of the peace process Conrad Atkinson. Conrad has spelt out why many art-lovers feel the Ulster Museum has failed to show the boldness required to win the Art Fund Prize — the Ulster Museum hasn't tried to rebut his unanswerable argument because it knows it committed the greatest wrong against the Cumbrian painter that you can commit against any artist: censor his work.
Conrad's Silver Liberties is the only major piece of conflict art banned by the Ulster Museum in its history. And yet, the same brave approach Conrad took to the drug thalidomide, to asbestos, to the use of landmines, made it inevitable that he would create works of art relating to Ireland which spoke out for justice and human rights.
However, like the museum's own version of volcanic ash, the censorship of Professor Atkinson's work is going to return again and again to dog the Ulster Museum until it does the decent thing. As with all peace processes, I've no doubt this one could benefit from some direct dialogue between Tim Cooke and Conrad Atkinson. Conrad wrote last year to the Museum to offer some of his seventies works but never got a reply. It's never too late, however for Tim to make that call.
In the short term, the Ulster Museum needs to commit to showing Silver Liberties by Conrad Atkinson, the monumental work opposing war and the brutalisation of civilians in Ireland and Britain, which was banned during the bleak year of 1978 by a crowd of know-nothings (some among the attendants, some among the trustees). In the medium term, it means ensuring that the powers-that-be help create a visual arts museum in West Belfast that tells the story of the peace. The Falls Road has more tourists than any other road in Belfast; visitors keen to hear the story of the war and peace. It's about time they had a top-class museum where they can see our story (from all sides) as told by artists who had the courage to tackle the issue of conflict and justice when it was much easier to do pictures of the Lagan.
Wish me luck.
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Barackadh an Lae
Barackadh an Lae is a play on the Irish 'breacadh an lae' (the dawning of the day) and was such an inspirational headline in the Irish language newspaper Nuacht24 that they immortalised it on a table in the Cultúrlann.
Declan Kelly is pictured today at the table with Gerry McConville (left), the enterprising head of the Falls Community Council and Eimear Ní Mhathúna, director of the Cultúrlann.
The US has only ever appointed an economic envoy once — in the case of Mr Kelly — so it was good to get him today to visit the Falls and, later, Sandy Row because Belfast will only be a successful city if it embraces all its communities and grows as a shared city.
Addressing a business breakfast in City Hall this morning the economic envoy listed a number of stunning assets of Belfast which convince him the North can become "the fastest-growing economy in the world per capita over the next five years".
No one can fault his positivity or ambition.
In the meantime, it was great to list a few differentiating factors which set the west of Belfast apart and which add to the compelling proposition of West Belfast:
It's where the Irish peace process was born — in the wondrous surrounds of Clonard Monastery and its hidden garden — and the key player, Gerry Adams, remains a vital player in the area's future.
The area has the most advanced community network in Ireland — in fact, without it, the west would never have survived the war.
The area has the most vibrant minority language revival in any city in Europe — boasting the biggest and most dynamic second level Irish medium school in the country in Coláiste Feirste, which itself is based in the oldest house in Belfast, Beechmount House.
Ireland's greatest stained glass window artist Harry Clarke has his greatest works in St Dominic's and St Mary's College on the Falls.
And talking of St Mary's, it is among the top teacher training colleges in these islands and is without compare when it compares with other colleges in terms of catering for those form disadvantaged backgrounds.
The area boast the biggest transport co-operative in Europe in the form of the Black Taxis which provide employment to over 250 people.
We also have Andor, the Royal hospital with its worldbeating research facilities, the biggest community festival in Europe and a people who know more about successful peacemaking than any other community in the western world.
And that's only for starters!
(Íosa Críost, forgot my most important one: Irish America's greatest artist Brian O'Doherty aka the late Patrick Ireland will have his major Irish artwork on the Falls Road.)
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New hope in North Belfast
http://www.localgovernmentchannel.com/news/v/the_communitiy_initiative_regenerating_inner_north_belfast/to/sustainability/
Paul Roberts of the Ashton Centre, who'll be at the New York-New Belfast conference (and I'm just back from City Hall where Economic Envoy Declan Kelly addressed 150 business leaders, and me), sends me this video.
Paul Roberts of the Ashton Centre, who'll be at the New York-New Belfast conference (and I'm just back from City Hall where Economic Envoy Declan Kelly addressed 150 business leaders, and me), sends me this video.
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Museum in the frame for art prize
Hard-hitting piece in today's Guardian though to say Professor Conrad Atkinson is campaigning against the prestigious Art Fund Prize going to the Belfast museum might be over-egging the pudding.
Still it gives us a chance to show again his wonderful comment on the British Queen's silver anniversary back in 1978.
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