City tour, Murals, Music.....

I actually stumbled upon the director of 'The Wedding' play in a cafe a couple of days later! (Belfast is small ;) I approached him and will hopefully be setting up an interview with him soon! Thursday night we were invited to an opening at an art gallery, giving me another opportunity to check out the existing 'arts scene' in Belfast...which was nice!
Friday: Did some archiving research on reports and evaluations of previous projects at the arts initiative which is really handy! Thankfully all records are kept in conjunction with funding and self-evaltuaions etc.
Elena and i decided to take one of those city bus tours to get our bearings and some info etc. I have never been on a city bus tour (always think they're soo cheesy...and they are!;) But it did help to be viewing the city from atop (its an open double decker...and we were freeezing). The tour guide also made some corny tourist 'jokes' about the bombings etc. (which i guess is a good sign i suppose..if u can make jokes about it). We got a look at some of the 'peacelines' running throught the city and the divisions of the area.



Sunday: This day marked the commerorations of the Hungerstrike which took place 25 years ago. This is another 'landmark' in Irish history when 15 IRA and INLA republican prisoners in a British jail undertook a fast to retain their status as political prisoners. Ten of them died in consequence as the British government, led by Margaret Thatcher, demanded they be classified as criminals!
In honour of the hungerstrikers a new mural was unveiled on Falls rd. Elena and i went to see this. There are already as u can imagine already plently of murals commerorating the hungerstrikers but i guess this anniversary gave an opportunity to paint a new one! This particualr one only shows two of them.
After the ceremony we walked around the area taking fotos of the murals etc. We then decided to crossover to the 'otherside' to the Skankill Rd (the loyalist/protestant area). We walked through i guess what u would call an interface area, open space and some gates covered with paintings. Once on the 'otherside' we were approached by a group of very small 'gangster looking' kids (if i may say so...sorry) asking if we were 'Finn'ians'!(as in from the Sinn Fein, the republican side). They were only about 10yrs old! My first confrontation with sectratianism!
We walked along Shankill Rd. which has many murals too. and many Union Jacks Flags!
Anyway, we wanted to then crossover to the 'otherside' again but it had already gotten late past 6 which means all the gates close...which meant we had to walk all the way around! Fun!:s
That evening we went to the Culturlann (an Irish Culture centre) to an Irish music concert which was really good. This was a 'real' concert i guess, as apposed to the pub ones, the musicans also did some strytelling inbetween which was funny. I must say though i prefer listening to the music in a pub environment cause its more relaxed and its the kindof music which makes you want t get up an dance (not that anyone does unfortunately...but still) Anyway it was good fun.