Author: Tina Calder

Slow Food Causeway and Taste Causeway Members scooped five out of 10 prestigious Slow Food Northern Ireland Awards last week.

The awards were held on Friday December 10 in a night of celebration as local businesses across Northern Ireland were recognised for their dedication to deliver quality and sustainable food products and fulfilling the movement’s vision of a good, clean and fair food society.

Created seven years ago in London, the acclaimed Slow Food awards are best known for being “truly democratic” due to no prior shortlisting and decision only by public vote except for the Person of the Year, which is chosen solely by the regional director for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. 

Out of the 10 regional awards, five Slow Food Causeway members (who are also members of Taste Causeway) were successful including Best Butcher which went to Corndale Farm in Limavady, Best Baker for Ursa Minor in Ballycastle, Best Fishmonger went to Native Seafood based in Portstewart, while Best Deli or Grocer was awarded to Warkes Deli, also in Portstewart and Veal Charcuterie at Broughgammon Farm was given the Champion Slow Food Product.

Speaking of the awards, Director for Slow Food Northern Ireland, Paula McIntyre said: “It’s a delight to see the public vote recognise the wonderful Slow Food producers and retailers in the region of Northern Ireland, and, in particular, the Causeway Coast and Glens.

“Coupled with the launch of Slow Food Causeway and the six month series of Slow Food launch events and experiences, these awards, across five of of the 10 categories, are further recognition of the commitment of everyone involved in Slow Food Causeway to the global Slow Food movement”.

Slow Food Causeway also celebrates Northern Ireland’s unique culinary heritage with indigenous breeds, fish from loughs, world class produce and progressive artisans contributing to the agri-food sector in the province.

Shane Holland, Executive Chairman of Slow Food in the UK said the awards were important for bringing increased trade to the area.

He added: “We know how important these awards are – both to the producers and businesses but also shoppers alike. 

“These awards matter to the winners, many of whom experience a large increase in business, and some previous winners have gained new retail opportunities on their wins”.

Charlie Cole from Broughgammon Farm near Ballycastle is a founding member of the Taste Causeway Collaborative Network picked up the Champion Slow Food Product award for his rose veal salami.

Charlie and his family have been advocates of forward thinking, regenerative farming techniques, utilising the waste of the dairy industry in the form of veal calves and kid goats. 

The farm runs an on-site nose to tail butchery, farm cafe and shop, online meat boxes, monthly supper clubs and artisan workshops.

Charlie said: “The rose veal salami was a product born out of necessity, as a result of consumers not being more conscientious about nose to tail eating.

“It embodies everything we believe in, nose to tail eating, collaborating with other similar minded, small, independent local family farmers and producers… and it’s delicious as a result”.

The Best Baker Award went to Ursa Minor Bakehouse in Ballycastle for the second year in a row.

Ciara O HArtghaile said she was “delighted” to be collecting the award: ““Since 2014 we have been pioneering a local, seasonal approach to food here on the Causeway Coast. We are committed to the suppliers on our doorstep and across this island and encourage the need to question food provenance and quality. 

“We promote the use of beautiful produce in innovative ways and work with farmers and growers locally to give our community the best quality, honest and most delicious food we can”

Best Fishmongers was awarded to Native Seafood. After receiving the accolade, owner Rebekah Mc Carry said the business has plans to expand their efforts in the new year,

“Our plan is to continue growing our supply network, expanding on the best of ethical producers that we already work with like Foyle Bia Mara and Carlingford oysters so once we have winter behind us, we will plan on installing a proper fish counter to add to the whole experience and we can’t wait to share it with our valued customers, both local and visitors.” 

All fish not sold through the fishmongers is used for Native’s restaurant menu which results in zero wastage, something Rebekah is extremely proud of.

She added: “We are over the moon to be recognised as Best Fishmongers in Northern Ireland. Our ethos has always been to provide sustainably sourced Irish seafood, filling the gap between local fishermen and the public.”

The award for Best Deli or Grocer went to Warkes Deli in Portrush. Owner Jacqui Warke said the ethos of the Slow Food Movement has “been integral” to what Warkes Deli have done since they opened in 2011.

Jacqui added that the business continually strives to “highlight the marvellous produce on our doorstep”.

“We are a family business combining deli, cafe, supper clubs, outside catering and hampers as well as producing our own products. Since opening we have constantly believed in cooking and baking fresh, nutritious, seasonal food using great local ingredients, showcasing our amazing local producers stocking great local cheeses, charcuterie, chutneys, oils and coffee to name but a few. 

“Key to our culture is to collaborate with other local like-minded food champions and this has proven to be both rewarding and great fun.”

To celebrate their accreditation as a Slow Food destination, Taste Causeway, the collaborative network of local food and drink businesses who was awarded the accolade by the global Slow Food Movement following a rigorous assessment process is hosting a calendar of events right up to the end of March 2022.

The events programme will showcase the Slow Food ethos dedicated to supporting local artisan producers as well as spreading awareness of local food traditions and culture. 

Sharon Scott from Taste Causeway who are delivering Slow Food Causeway with funding from Tourism NI in partnership with Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council said: 

“Taste Causeway is  one of only a handful of accredited Slow Food destinations in Ireland to be awarded the accolade by the global Slow Food Movement. 

“Slow Food was initially founded by a group of activists in Italy during the 1980s with the aim of defending regional traditions, good food, gastronomic pleasure and a slow pace of life but has since grown into a global movement involving millions of people, in over 150 countries that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to the community and the environment.  We at Taste Causeway are proud to become part of this global food movement.”

For further information on Slow Food Causeway go to tastecauseway.com/slow-food-causeway. 

The big top is up in Writers’ Square as the performers of Tumble Circus’ Winter Circus prepare for their opening show on Friday December 17.

Running from December 17 through to January 3, the award winning Tumble Circus is back in Writers’ Square hosting the infamous Jossers Big Top for 27 world-class human performances.

With just one day to go until showtime, the performers have been busy with dress rehearsals for what promises to be fun for all the family this winter with everything from death defying aerialists to mind bending jugglers.

Tina Segner of Tumble Circus said: “We are delighted to be back and we’ve got an amazing show lined up this year in our fully heated Tumble Circus big top tent.”

Winter Circus is supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council, Tourism Northern Ireland and Destination CQ BID.

Tickets are £9-£14 + booking fee and available from wegottickets.com/JossersBigTop, or for more information go to tumblecircus.com. Family tickets are also available and group bookings (10+) can be booked by emailing bookings@tumblecircus.com.

View the Winter Circus Covid-19 policy at https://www.tumblecircus.com/winter-circus-show/#covid-19-guidelines 

Belfast’s Writers’ Square will see the Big Top being raised aloft for Tumble Circus’ Winter Show, and co-founder, Tina Segner promises that audiences need to prepare to be surprised, and amazed.

Running from December 17 to January 3 the all-human performances combines acrobats, aerial artists and jugglers in an hour-long fun-filled show.

For Tina, a skilled acrobat, aerialist and juggler, the journey to co-found Tumble Circus began in her native Sweden.

“I was 17 or 18 and my friend had just come back from an Interrailing trip around Europe and she’d learnt to juggle and I thought it was really cool,” she explained. “She taught me how to juggle and after that I practised a bit and I thought it was great fun and I joined a little juggling school.”

From there a plan to see more of the world saw her “stuck in Ireland”.

“We were meant to stay for three months but that was 1995 and during that time I ended up meeting lots of people who could do circus skills and I was enthralled,” she said. “I loved what they were doing.”

As performers put the final touches to the extravaganza in Belfast’s Writers’ Square co-founder of the troupe, Tina explained that the skills the troop will showcase are very demanding and require extensive training, something which drew her into the circus.

“I think it was a bit of a challenge that made me see it as something that I could pursue,” she said. 

“It is using my brain as well as my body, especially with juggling and using patterns.

“You had to use your brains as well as your physical skills. It was challenging, and all the people who were doing it were really great. I loved the environment and I loved everything about it.”

With the planned stay in Ireland extended she met Tumble Circus co-founder Ken Fanning.

“I lived in Dublin for two years and by this time Ken and I had met and we were doing shows together,” Tina explained.

“Lots of people started contacting us and asking us to do shows and how much do you charge?

“We didn’t really know that much but we knew that we needed to do some proper training. I think that’s when I realised that’s what I wanted to do for a living. That meant I needed more training in it. Then both myself and Ken ended up going to a circus school in England and it lasted a year and it was great. It was the best time of my life.”

Now settled with Belfast as her home, her partner Grant is also a performer, as is her son, Kasper.

“It’s also lovely doing Winter Circus and having Grant and Kasper as part of it, something that has others inspired,” Tina explained. “All of a sudden, without us realising, Kasper can become a role model.

“He encourages other people to do things. Kids can associate themselves with him because he’s a child, he’s not an adult doing things. The kids can say ‘we want to do that’, ‘we want to be like this’. It’s really great.”

Despite a difficult 18 months due to the Covid-19 pandemic Winter Circus show is returning for its fifth year, and Tina promises it will be “louder and prouder than ever before”. All a far cry from when it was so demanding it nearly didn’t return after the second year.

“Before we opened in the second year, I said to Grant to remind me that I never want to do this again,” she explained. 

“He said we should probably wait until the end of the run and make that decision. But the third year was really good. Fourth year was great. Last year was cancelled but it’s really exciting taking it out now.”

Taking place in the Jossers’ Big Top Tina said it, “just about fits into” Writers’ Square.

Since starting Tumble Circus Tina and the team have developed an impressive set of credentials having headlined Glastonbury Festival’s Circus Big Top, played at Edinburgh Fringe, Perth Fringe World and Adelaide Fringe Festival. They have been seen in Norway, Iceland, Canada, Australia and many other countries and have toured our big top shows all over Ireland.

Tina’s success has also brought her shows back to Sweden.

A few years back I was able to perform in my hometown,” she said. 

“500 people came. We put the trapeze rig up in the middle of the square and the news had just spread that I was coming to do a show and there were people that I hadn’t seen since I’d left as a child.

“There were people from my time, people from school, my old school teachers, my mum and dad’s friends came. It was amazing.”

And despite her parent’s initial misgivings about her making her career as a circus performer Tina admits they are now supportive and “my biggest fans”.

Tina explained that Tumble Circus promises something far removed from what people expect.

“Start with traditional circus costumes and music – we don’t do that,” she explained. “We try to make it into a show. We have a ringmaster. We mix all the acts.

“They’re all crafted so that, even though they’re much unexpected, people don’t know what’s coming next – but there’s still a very coherent feel to the show and we mix modern things, we mix loads of different art forms into the circus.

“Tumble Circus combines circus skills with comedy, theatre and social commentary to make people laugh, react, and act.”

With the heated Big Top going up in Writers’ Square Tumble Circus will be performing every day, except Christmas Day throughout the run with 11 of the days presenting two shows, with nine performers.

“Someone described it as the Irish Circus Soleil hit by a bus,” explained co-founder Ken. 

“It’s not like normal circus. But it is. It’s Belfast-inspired circus. It is circus made in Belfast for Belfast people. It’s a bit of craic. Noisy, skills, comedy, beautiful bits, bit of poetry.”

Winter Circus is supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council, Tourism Northern Ireland, Arts & Business and Destination CQ BID.

Tickets are £9-£14 + booking fee and available from wegottickets.com/JossersBigTop, or for more information go to tumblecircus.com. 

Family tickets are also available and group bookings (10+) can be booked by emailing bookings@tumblecircus.com.

View the Winter Circus Covid-19 policy at https://www.tumblecircus.com/winter-circus-show/#covid-19-guidelines .

Come along and stay awhile after your Winter Circus show and explore the fantastic range of hotels, restaurants and bars nearby to our Big Top in Writer’s Square, Belfast.

We’ve gathered a list of places to check out while you’re visiting the Winter Circus this festive period.

Hotels

1. Ac Marriott  

Harbour, Donegall Quay, Belfast BT1 3FE

028 9531 3180

An urban retreat in an exceptional waterfront location, the AC Hotel Belfast by Marriott is a scenic haven in a colourful travel destination in the capital of Northern Ireland.

marriott.com/hotels/travel/bfsac-ac-hotel-belfast

2. Bullitt Hotel

40a Church Lane, Belfast BT1 4QN

028 9590 0600

A no-nonsense hotel with no extravagant extras, Bullitt Hotel guarantees a quality service with no hidden costs, smack bang in the middle of Belfast City Centre.

bullitthotel.com 

3. Malmaison Hotel

34-38 Victoria St, Belfast BT1 3GH

028 9600 1405

This stunning boutique hotel in Belfast city centre is located in the heart of the historic Cathedral Quarter. With the Italianate building housing 62 rooms and suites,you can relax in rooms with sleek, contemporary style. 

malmaison.com/locations/belfast 

4. Ramada By Wyndham Belfast

20 Talbot Street, Belfast BT1 2LD

028 9026 1800

Located in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter Belfast – the most popular part of the city, the Ramada combines comfort and style. Guests can also enjoy culinary excellence in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere at the hotel’s own SQ Bar and Grill.

ramadabelfasthotel.com

5. Premier Inn Belfast City Cathedral Quarter

2-6 Waring Street, Belfast BT1 2DX

0333 777 3901

The much-loved, award-winning hotel chain promises to give you both choice and flexibility.

premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/north

6. Merchant Hotel

16 Skippe Street, Belfast BT1 2DZ

028 9023 4888

The Merchant Hotel situated in the heart of the historic Cathedral Quarter gives guests unparalleled five-star service. It’s grade A listed building is complemented by a wealth of modern, multi-award winning facilities and services that any modern traveller could wish for.

themerchanthotel.com

Restaurants And Cafes 

7. Neighbourhood Cafe

60 Donegall Street

Located just off Writer’s Square, Neighbourhood is the newest cafe in the Cathedral Quarter which focuses on specialty coffee, a quality brunch offering and warm customer service.

neighbourhood.cafe

8. Charlotte’s Cafe

4 Curtis Street, Belfast BT1 2ND 

028 9031 0300

Comfort food at an affordable price is guaranteed at Charlotte’s Cafe with a range of breakfast, lunch and dinner specials to feast your appetite.

facebook.com/charlottescafebelfast

9. Clements Café

127-132 Royal Avenue, Belfast, BT1 1FG

028 9031 5166

One of Northern Ireland’s largest chain of independently owned coffee shops, Clements is the perfect place for on-the-go refreshments and small bites.

clementscoffee.com

10. Established Coffee

54 Hill St, Belfast BT1 2LB

028 9031 9416

Offering stylish surroundings in a fantastic Cathedral Quarter location, the team at Established are passionate about high quality coffee and offer delicious brunch focused dishes.

established.coffee

11. Made In Belfast 

23 Talbot Street, Belfast BT1 2LD

028 9024 4107

The shabby chic decor and locally sourced hearty food is what makes the no-nonsense Made In Belfast approach well loved by many. Also caters for a variety of dietary needs such as gluten free, vegetarian and vegan.

mibni.co.uk

12. 44

44 Hill St, Belfast BT1 2LB

028 9590 8444

A vibrant celebration of modern food and drink, 44 Hill Street offers seasonal menus that everyone can enjoy.

44hillstreet.com

13. Mumbai27

27 Talbot Street, Belfast, BT1 2LD
028 9023 3926

Mumbai27 in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter offers a unique Indian cuisine inspired menu which uses only fresh, locally sourced ingredients where possible.

mumbai27.co.uk

14. The Great Room, The Merchant Hotel

16 Skipper Street, Belfast, BT1 2DZ

028 9023 4888

Fine dining at its best. From the stunning original Victorian interior to a truly remarkable chandelier. The chefs have created innovative menus featuring the finest seasonal ingredients, which has resulted in the restaurant being awarded 2 AA Rosettes – one of the most prestigious honours granted for culinary excellence.

themerchanthotel.com/the-great-room 

15. Coppi

Saint Anne’s Square, Belfast, BT1 2LR

028 9031 1959

Tucked into the cultural hub in St Anne’s Square, Coppi is the unrivalled contemporary Italian restaurant showcasing the best local produce, an extensive wine list, creative and classic cocktails, and a selection of local craft beers.

coppi.co.uk

16. Hadski’s

33 Donegall Street, Belfast BT1

02890 325444

Tucked away at the end of the infamous cobbled streets of the Cathedral Quarter,  Hadski’s boasts an open kitchen where you can watch Chefs cook up the European inspired menu.

jamesstandco.com/hadskis

17. The Muddlers Club

Warehouse Lane, (Just off Waring St or Exchange Place), Belfast

028 9031 3199

Named after the secret society that met in the Cathedral Quarter location over 200 years ago, The Muddlers Club focuses on modern dining in a relaxed space and uses only the best local ingredients.

themuddlersclubbelfast.com

18. Dumpling Library

Unit 6, St Anne’s Square, BT1 2LR

02896 919222

A unique Asian adventure offering a variety of exquisite small dishes, influenced by traditional Chinese, Korean and Japanese.

dumplinglibrary.co.uk

19. House Of Zen

St Annes Square, Belfast, BT1 2LR

028 9027 8688

The award winning fine Asian restaurant offers an extensive selection of expertly crafted traditional cuisine in a stylish setting.

houseofzenbelfast.co.uk

20. Common Market

16-20 Dunbar St, Belfast, BT1 2LH

Located in the vacated Arnotts fruit and vegetable warehouse on Dunbar Link, this venue offers the very best of street food from a variety of small businesses and cuisines.

commonmarketbelfast.com 

21. Pizza Punks

20-22 Waring Street, BT1 2ES

028 9031 4110

Pizza Punks is a fast-growing independent company providing the city of Belfast unforgettable sourdough pizza which is handmade inhouse and double fermented for a minimum of 48hrs for maximum flavour. Diners can  also choose as many pizza toppings as they like.

pizzapunks.co.uk/pizza-punks-belfast    

22. 2 Taps

Cotton Court, 30-42 Waring St, Belfast BT1 2ED

028 9031 1414

Boasting one of the city’s largest outdoor terraces, 2Taps Wine Bar and Restaurant brings a taste of Spain to Belfast with their extensive tapas range including meats, seafood, salads and a large selection of vegetarian dishes. 

2taps-winebar.com

Bars

23. The Spaniard

3 Skipper Street, Belfast, BT1 2DZ

028 9023 2448

Hidden in the depths of the Cathedral Quarter, the Spaniard Bar provides a cosy, intimate atmosphere.

spaniardbar.com 

24. Jazz Bar, The Merchant Hotel

16 Skipper Street, Belfast, BT1 2DZ

028 9026 2713

Belfast’s only dedicated jazz bar, guests can enjoy a sophisticated atmosphere and cool jazz melodies washed down with something from the extensive drinks selection and expertly crafted cocktail list.

themerchanthotel.com/berts-jazz-bar 

25. Union Street

8-14 Union St, Belfast, BT1 2JF

028 9031 6060

The converted 19th century shoe factory laid out over three floors is ideal for lunchtime or evening dining with the ambient music and open fires creating the perfect setting for a unique dining and drink experience.

unionstreetbar.com

26. The Reporter

Union Street, Belfast, BT1 2JF

Inspired by the history of the newspaper business, this dog friendly pub owned by the McElhatton family, honours Belfast’s rich printing and publishing heritage.

27. The Cloth Ear, The Merchant Hotel

16 Skipper Street, Belfast, BT1 2DZ

028 9023 4888

Located in the oldest quarter of Belfast, The Cloth Ear has woven a rich seam of wonderful Victorian heritage and offers an exciting and inventive drinks list from punch bowls to hoptails and wine by the keg.

themerchanthotel.com/the-cloth-ear 

28. Ulster Sports Club

96-98 High Street, Belfast, BT1 2BG

028 9023 0771

Ulster Sports Club is the ideal venue for the sports lover with regular screening of live sports combined with music and tasty food.

ulstersportsclub.com

29. The National

62 High Street, Belfast, BT1 2BE

028 9031 1130

Offering an airy and sophisticated space to relax and socialise with friends whilst serving up the best in local food and drink.

thenationalbelfast.com

30. The Northern Whig

2-10 Bridge Street, BT1 1LU

028 9050 9888

The Northern Whig bar & restaurant is situated right in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter, Belfast’s social and cultural centre.

The Northern Whig

31. Duke Of York

7-11 Commercial Ct, Belfast BT1 2NB

028 9024 1062

Owned by Willie Jack, the Duke Of York is one of Belfast’s most iconic and well loved places for a pint due to it’s Belfast centric decor both inside and out.

dukeofyorkbelfast.com

32. The Harp Bar

35 Hill St, Belfast BT1 2NB

028 9032 9923

Furnished to represent a Victorian Belfast, this public house is the home of “Belfast craic” for the discerning drinker, selling crisps, dulse, coffees, independent draught beers and extensive whiskies.

dukeofyorkbelfast.com/venues/harp-bar

33. The Deer’s Head

1-3 Lower Garfield St, Belfast BT1 1FP

028 90 434655

A traditional bar in Belfast founded in 1885, The Deer’s Head is steeped in history. With its own craft beer brewery, it is Belfast’s first brew pub.

thedeersheadbelfast.com 

34. Mchughs

29-31 Queen’s Square, Belfast BT1 3FG

028 9050 9999

A proud tradition of great food, great drink and great craic, the McHugh’s bar is steeped in history as it dates back to 1711 making it the oldest surviving building in Belfast.

mchughsbar.com

35. The John Hewitt

51 Donegall St, Belfast BT1 2FH

028 9023 3768

With great live music, draught beer and gin, the John Hewitt also offers an Irish Craft Selection that rotates through some of Ireland’s finest Craft Beer Breweries.

thejohnhewitt.com 

36. The Dirty Onion

3 Hill St, Belfast BT1 2LA

028 9024 3712

The authentic Irish pub with a modern twist is home to two bars, one restaurant and one of the biggest beer gardens in Belfast, the Dirty Onion is Belfast’s one-stop-shop for great food, drink and entertainment.

thedirtyonion.com/about 

37. The Thirsty Goat

1 Hill St, Belfast BT1 2LA

028 9024 1415

Best known for its garden-esque smoking area that is filled with people dancing, the newest addition to the Cathedral Quarter bar list has an extensive range of Irish distilled spirits, beers and ales.

thethirstygoat.co.uk

38. The Dark Horse

30 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LB

Appreciate the superb décor and special atmosphere with beautiful antique mirrors as you sip on refreshment of your choice.

dukeofyorkbelfast.com/venues/the-dark-horse

39. The Second Fiddle

42 Waring St, Belfast BT1 2ED

028 9024 3712

Providing the finest of Irish music and craic, the Second Fiddle has all your favourite spirits, beers and craft ciders to enjoy alongside unbeatable live entertainment.

thesecondfiddlebelfast.co.uk

40. The Jailhouse

4-5 Joys Entry, Belfast BT1 4DR

028 9032 6711

The Jailhouse bar and restaurant prides itself on staying as close to the original character of the building as possible with its brick walls, inscribed beams and original windows. A great friendly pub with something for everyone.

thejailhousebelfast.com 

41. Muriel’s Café Bar

12-14 Church Ln, Belfast BT1 4QN

028 9033 2445

Belfast’s boutique bar, Muriel’s is a joy to visit. With seating inside and out, the bar staff are knowledgeable about their liquor and gin. 

facebook.com/muriels.cafebar 

42. Haymarket

84 Royal Ave, Belfast, BT1 1DJ

The indoor/outdoor bar & street food hangout serves up a range of delicious cocktails, draught beer & tasty street food in the historic Haymarket.

haymarketbelfast.com 

Winter Circus is supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council, Tourism Northern Ireland and Destination CQ BID.

Winter Circus performances are running until January 3rd. For more information go to tumblecircus.com. Family tickets are also available and group bookings (10+) can be booked by emailing bookings@tumblecircus.com.

The first lineup of performers has been announced ahead of the award winning Tumble Circus’ Winter Circus extravaganza which will open in Writer’s Square, Belfast this Friday.

Angelique Reckless Ross, Ali Stanger and Henrik Gard are the first three performers set to star in the 27 all human performances taking place across three weeks with everything from death defying aerialists and mind bending jugglers.

Angelique is a tight wire walker, trapeze artist and two-time Australian axe-throwing champion, Ali is an aerialist, acrobat and clown and Henrik is an acrobatic performer, whose focus is on weaving acrobatic movement with abstract everyday narratives.

Running from December 17 through to January 3, the infamous Jossers Big Top returns for its second year after last year’s show halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic and fans can expect this year’s “to return louder and prouder than ever before”.

Tina Segner of Tumble Circus said: “We are delighted to be back and we’ve got an amazing show lined up this year in our fully heated Tumble Circus big top tent.”

Tickets are limited this year so it’s advised to book early to experience world-class acrobats, aerialists, jugglers and the unique humour that has made Tumble Circus an international award-winning modern circus company.

“The Winter Circus shows will be spectacular with an inspiring modern soundtrack” said Ken Fanning of Tumble Circus, adding: “visitors to the big top can expect modern, high skilled acts, including acrobats, aerialists and jugglers in this one hour of hammer smashing Belfast inspired circus. 

Winter Circus is supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council, Tourism Northern Ireland and Destination CQ BID.

Tickets are £9-£14 + booking fee and available from wegottickets.com/JossersBigTop, or for more information go to tumblecircus.com. 

Family tickets are also available and group bookings (10+) can be booked by emailing bookings@tumblecircus.com.

View the Winter Circus Covid-19 policy at https://www.tumblecircus.com/winter-circus-show/#covid-19-guidelines 

Deep in the heart of Cathedral Quarter the big top is about to be hoisted aloft and a dazzling array of circus skills, comedy and theatre are in the final throes of preparations for Tumble Circus Christmas show.

As performers put the final touches to the extravaganza in Belfast’s Writers’ Square co-founder of the troupe, Ken Fanning delved into the history of Tumble Circus and what audiences can expect.

Running from December 17 to January 3 the all-human performances combines acrobats, aerial artists, jugglers in an hour-long fun-filled show.

“Someone described it as the Irish Circus Soleil hit by a bus,” explained Ken, adding: “It’s not like normal circus. But it is. It’s like Belfast-inspired circus. It is circus made in Belfast for Belfast people. It’s a bit of craic. Noisy with lots of skills, comedy, beautiful bits, and a bit of poetry.”

For anyone unsure if the circus is right for them Ken said one comment sticks in his mind.

“A father coming out of the show with his kids came up to me and said ‘I didn’t want to come but my wife made me buy tickets and take the kids. Thought I was going to hate it but it’s the best thing I’ve been at since Metallica’.”

Ken’s journey to become a skilled circus performer began on Spain’s back streets.

“I was kidnapped by a bunch of English circus performers in Spain and kept in an orange orchard near Valencia,” he joked. 

“When I was 19, I was travelling around Spain and happened to go down a side street and watched two guys juggling doing a show.

“They offered me and my friend somewhere to stay for the night and they were living in an orange orchard. There were a bunch of circus performers living in vans in this orchard and we just stayed and started learning circus tricks.”

Running low on money, Ken returned to Ireland and began busking in Dublin, where he met and worked with others doing circus. There he met Tumble Circus co-founder Tina Segner.

“I was in Grafton Street and noticed that Tina had three juggling clubs,” he explained.

“I had my clubs so I stopped her and asked her if she’d like to juggle. We went round the corner and we started passing juggling clubs to each other. That’s how we met. Within five minutes of meeting we were doing circus.”

From that initial meeting they travelled to Australia to join a circus before attending an adult circus school in Bristol. But their decision to set up in Belfast after working in Dublin was due to property prices.

“We were living in a garage in South Circular Road in Dublin with a mattress on the floor,” he said. 

“We came to Belfast for a show and realised we could actually rent a house with a garden for the price of the garage in Dublin. And, there was a whole circus community that was active and really fun, so we stayed.”

Ken believes that circus has a universal appeal with people doing skills or falling over on their faces. 

“People love it,” he explained. 

“It’s always interesting to go places where people don’t usually see that entertainment. They don’t know how to behave and they’re just wowed by it. Especially the Youtube generation. They’re numbed by the stuff they see. When it’s in their faces and live it’s a whole different experience and that’s great to give people. People feel like they’ve seen everything, but when you put it in front of them and they actually see stuff in front of them, they become alive and they experience the fun and joy of it all – the sensation of ‘they’re going to die’.

“They have a real experience. It’s great to watch people. It’s like they wake up.”

With the heated Big Top going up in Writers’ Square Tumble Circus will be performing every day, except Christmas Day throughout the run with 11 of the days presenting two shows, with nine performers.

For Ken the growth of audiences and the number of performers is a justification of what Tumble Circus is all about.

“It has moved away from just being a form of entertainment for kids in a field outside of town,” he said. “That’s still some of the perception in Ireland. But in France and other countries circus has been an art form for some time and is taken seriously.

“They have big productions that take eight months to stage. In Ireland it’s different although I think it has changed somewhat. I think there’s an emerging art form to become mainstream across the island.”

Established in the mid-90s Tumble Circus has an impressive set of credentials having headlined Glastonbury Festival’s Circus Big Top, played at Edinburgh Fringe, Perth Fringe World and Adelaide Fringe Festival. They have been seen in Norway, Iceland, Canada, Australia and many other countries. We have toured our big top shows all over Ireland.

Previous Winter Circus show in Belfast has become a yearly fixture and sell out. Their circus films are watched by thousands worldwide.

The genesis of the Winter Circus came about at a time when most performers were getting good work over the festive season.

“We were busy touring internationally and Christmas was always a busy time where we got booked for gigs and got paid well” said Ken.

“One year we just thought we had to try this at least once and just put it on.”

There’s a whole circus culture alive here and we wanted to celebrate that by putting on performances and giving performers the opportunity to perform here in front of Belfast audiences and do our unique kind of Belfast circus for people and hope it makes money.
“It worked the first year and we did it ourselves. That’s the kernel of it but we just wanted to perform in Belfast. It meant we could stop touring as much and be able to do circus in Belfast and make an income from it.”

And amidst the merry mayhem the soundtrack is very much themed around Northern Ireland.

“Music is very important,” Ken said. “I’m always trying to pick up music that goes with the acts with some local music to try and get some Belfast tunes in or bands from Ireland.  The likes of The Undertones and songs that kind of alternative scenes. You get a good soundtrack that people like to listen to with the performances with tunes that people recognise.”

For Ken, whilst settled in Belfast, he feels he now has responsibility and freedom, despite having had a rocky time as a youngster that forced him to leave Ireland.

“I feel very privileged that I get to do circus and I make a living out of it,” he said. 

“I feel a sense of responsibility about doing that which means I work at it. I find opportunities for the company and the people who work for us. I feel that responsibility which makes me less free in some ways but I feel creatively free. I can say the things I want to and the things I want to do.

Winter Circus is supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council, Tourism Northern Ireland and Destination CQ BID.

Tickets are £9-£14 + booking fee and available from wegottickets.com/JossersBigTop, or for more information go to tumblecircus.com. 

Family tickets are also available and group bookings (10+) can be booked by emailing bookings@tumblecircus.com.

View the Winter Circus Covid-19 policy at https://www.tumblecircus.com/winter-circus-show/#covid-19-guidelines 

County Armagh professional Makeup Artist Aisling O’Connor hosted an afternoon to remember at the Seagoe Hotel in Portadown to celebrate the launch of her new Dream Beauty Studio.

The all-female event, ‘Look Good, Feel Fabulous’, took place on November 14 and showcased empowering motivational speakers, a Fashion show featuring local boutiques, a live makeup demo, a cocktail reception and afternoon tea.

During lockdown, Aisling hosted a “Makeup and Mindset” Zoom makeup tutorial alongside guest speaker Claire O’Hanlon which focused on strengthening the mindset – something Aisling based her own event on. 

Launching her own business in 2018, with a website and new branding launched 2020 before the pandemic began.

Aisling spent the majority of lockdown developing her brand and then launched her custom beauty space, Dream Beauty Studio in September 2021.

Aisling said: “The main concept underpinning my business is that of ‘The Lipstick Effect’, the psychological phenomenon where putting on your makeup is proven to increase self confidence, and boost self esteem.

“I just love what I do and love empowering women to feel better about themselves.” 

The mum-of-three is a strong advocate of encouraging women to use makeup as a powerful tool to enhance self-confidence which was the inspiration behind her in-person event.

“My main goal was to get a room full of women and have them leave that afternoon feeling uplifted, encouraged and above all, realising that it’s ok, and in fact of extreme importance, to put themselves first every once in a while.” she said.

The sellout event featured an impressive lineup of inspiring speakers including Life Coach Michelle McAuley, personal stylist Samara of Evolve By Samara and fashion blogger Caroline Currie of ‘Principal of Fashion’ who hosted the uplifting masterclass. 

Besides giving confidence, on the day £1000 was raised through raffle prizes for Little Forget Me Nots Trust, a local charity dedicated to helping families cope with child loss.

“I advocate strongly supporting local and female owned businesses. I believe in empowering others, which is what sets Dream Beauty apart. It’s more than just makeup, it’s all about leaving you feeling like you on a really good day.”

Currently, Dream Beauty studio offers a variety of beauty and cosmetic treatments including makeup, brows, nails, lashes, sugaring, tanning and massages and the studio is also big enough to offer group workshops and lessons.

To book a visit to the Dream Beauty Studio go to https://www.dreambeautybyaoc.co.uk/ or Follow @Dreambeautybyaoc on Facebook and Instagram.

Causeway Coast & Glens Heritage Trust, in partnership with Ulster University, are delivering two free marketing and social media training sessions to local creatives, storytellers, and artisans next week as part of the EU funded Northword project.

Led by trainer and founder of Excalibur Press, Tina Calder the virtual training begins on Monday December 6 with the Supercharge Your Marketing By Creating Your Brand Story and will be followed by Everything You Need To Know About Social Media For Marketing Your Business on Thursday December 9 where Tina will guide attendees through all of the key infrastructures that make up their brand such as brand story, brand mission and brand social media content style.

Tiérna Mullan, the CCGHT Project Officer said: “The pandemic has highlighted the importance of digital platforms in supporting the creative industry, and the Northword project aims to further harness this potential.

“The wealth of creative talent in the Causeway Coast and Glens and Mid & East Antrim Borough Council areas is phenomenal and through the two online training sessions we can support the creative industries in remote areas and enhance their online presence.” 

Trainer Tina Calder has acquired a wealth of knowledge in 25 years working in local media having worked with a large number of thought leaders and business owners. Tina specialises in helping businesses transform and level up their marketing and communications efforts.

“I’m delighted to be working with Causeway Coast & Glens Heritage Trust on this fantastic project to be able to support business in the creative sector in areas of their marketing such as brand storytelling and social media marketing” said Tina, adding: “Programmes like this that offer free training are absolutely vital in supporting our vibrant and exciting small businesses within the creative sector.”

CCGHT is a registered charity devoted to protecting and enhancing the unique heritage of the Causeway Coast and Glens area, and in collaboration with Ulster University, they are the lead facilitators of the Northword project in Northern Ireland.

Northword is a transnational project that seeks to use traditional storytelling to support creative industries in northern countries in remote areas and enhance the online presence of small businesses. 

It also seeks to draw on and support long traditions of storytelling in northern locales and encourage communities to rediscover and celebrate local tales.

Both training sessions will be recorded and will include an interactive element such as a Q&A session and participant handouts.

To register for the events, go to https://ccght.org/events 

Sign up to the Northword e-newsletter to keep up to date with progress and upcoming events Sign up for the Northword e-newsletter! – Northword NI

For more information on the Northword project visit https://storytagging.interreg-npa.eu/ or https://northwordni.org/

New platform that finds a total addressable market in seconds and connects with decision makers in minutes

Belfast, UK 02.12.21

SAAS company Zymplify Group has launched Lead Onion, a powerful intent-driven sales enablement platform that allows users to identify, prioritize and connect with leads and prospects in real time.

Lead Onion allows users to activate buyer-intent data with 17 dynamic intent sources at their fingertips giving them the ability to quickly identify companies who are ready to buy and their key decision makers. 

Once identified prospects are prioritized into ready-to-buy sales leads allowing sales teams to connect with in-market buyers in real time.

The announcement comes on the back of Zymplify Group investing a further £1.5million into the SAAS company and a commitment to create 26 jobs over the coming year working across its three brands Zymplify, Lead Onion and Zym.

Zymplify Group chief executive Michael Carlin said Lead Onion represented a significant step forward in the operationalization of data and prospecting across all sectors.

He added: “Lead Onion helps teams reduce sales cycles, accelerate sales and enhance their sales and marketing efforts by making available the world’s largest and most compliant database of 400 million business profiles and 4.2m identified in-market accounts.”

With Lead Onion users can see the companies who are actively searching for their product or service, get contact details of the key decision makers and send prospects to their tech stack for lead nurturing or use Lead Onion’s inbuilt cadences to connect instantly and quickly act on those buying signals.

Zymplify Group chief marketing officer Debbie Rymer explained: “The thing that makes Lead Onion really different isn’t just the company level intent or the contact details of the key decision makers in those organisations. It’s the fact that our platform is the only company on the market that takes into consideration first, second and third party data, and then highlights the people that are displaying intent across all of those channels”.

With Lead Onion companies can not only gather up to the minute, relevant and current data but can organise and prioritize that data efficiently in a manner that allows sales teams to act on the intelligence immediately right when the customer is ready to buy.

Michael Green, chief operating officer of Lead Onion said: “One of the biggest challenges companies have with intent data is making it actionable. That’s what we solve. 

“For example, there’s been a lot of discussion in  sales and marketing about third-party intent data and whether it’s useful…the fact that we make it actionable helps to solve that conundrum – we bring order to the chaos of there being so much data out there.

“Lead Onion provides contact details alongside the company-level intent. We’re the only platform that has first, second, third-party intent data at the company level.” 

Lead Onion was originally created to fill a need for the Zymplify Group themselves.

Michael and his team, frustrated by the prospecting and lead generation tools on the market, set out to find a solution that would streamline the prospecting and lead generation timeline.

He explained: “Before we created Lead Onion it was my job to extract the data from various sources, be that G2 or purchasing large data lists, and populate existing sales CRM systems and platforms with that data for the sales teams to use.

“This was being done every week but, in some cases, by the time the data was collected, collated and uploaded to the system the intent was already a week old and in many cases the data had gone stale.

“With Lead Onion that process has gone from a few days or a week to minutes. Our sales teams are being fed live data on a daily basis that’s current, relevant and actionable.

“Sales teams no longer have to think about where they will go for their next lead – it’s there, it’s ready and waiting for them. Their days are planned out and if they need more the system can give them more.”

With Lead Onion’s suite of tools marketers responsible for delivering leads to sales, sales leaders responsible for growing revenue at scale and recruiters looking for their next hot hire can use up to the minute tools and intelligence to identify, target and connect faster with their target audience.

“Lead Onion gives your sales teams more talk time because we have removed repetitive admin and research tasks from their workflow” said Debbie Rymer, adding: “supercharge your conversions by giving your team the hottest leads today looking for the solution that you offer now, not last week, not last month.”

To book a Lead Onion demo or for more information go to https://leadonion.ai/