4 Corners Festival Bringing Communities Together Through Sports

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Uniting children with a Game of 3 Halves 

4 Corners Festival returns for its 11th annual instalment on January 27 for a 9-day event running until February 5, covering a variety of music, art, talks, sporting and religious-based events.

This year’s theme, Dreams…Visions For Belfast is hoping to inspire individuals from all areas within the city to create a peaceful home for all communities.

One of the many activities taking place within the festival is the Game of 3 Halves, which sees young people from all areas of Belfast brought together through the power of sports.

PeacePlayers NI are hosting the event, open to all young people aged 11 to 14, with the aim of changing the competitive nature of games and removing any conflict, instead replacing it with positive lessons and outcomes, on and off the court.

Games such as Gaelic football, soccer and rugby will be played by integrated teams from Belfast as well as having on-site PeacePlayers Coaches and mentors to help participants throughout the 3-hour long event.

Aoife Redmond, Regional Programme Coordinator, has seen how this scheme is successful in uniting children through engaging fun sports based activities.

She said: “We get kids together on integrated teams to play basketball, to engage in team building activities together and actually get to know one another.”

“We run programmes for multiple age groups; our Twinning programme brings catholic and protestant primary school classes together on integrated teams, to play basketball and engage in good relations conversations and activities.”

Aoife also explained that PeacePlayers offer further programmes to promote togetherness outside of the festival, which is ideal for any children and young people who enjoy the event to continue with the inspirational messages the team and activities produce.

She added: “We also have our Leadership Development Programme, which is for participants in 4th year – Upper sixth to come together and learn about cultures, our core values and curriculum delivery as well as playing basketball together.”

Ed Peterson of Clonard Monastery, representing the 4 Corners Festival, explained that the event is aimed at bringing young people from all communities, backgrounds and corners of the city together.

He said: “I love the overall ethos of the 4 Corners Festival to encourage all of us to get out of our corner of the city, not only just the geographical corner of the city to experience other parts of Belfast but also just around other ideas and opportunities.

“Young people can meet new people and explore various different subject matters together with people from different areas of Belfast or even beyond.”

Open to both previous PeacePlayers attendees and young people (aged 11-14) who have never been to the programme before, perfect for anyone looking to get involved, meet new people and develop connections and friendships.

Siblings Abdelmonieum and Maryam Salman are both participants who regularly attend the PeacePlayers events, with them both enjoying the sense of community they gain from going.

Abdelmonieum said: “PeacePlayers is always like a second home to me. I look forward to going to it every week.”

Maryam also explained how she has developed great connections with fellow students who attend the sessions, saying: “Because of PeacePlayers I got to meet new people and make new friends.”

Joshua Curtis, another young person who attends the games, said he finds PeacePlayers to be incredibly fun and rewarding.

He said: “I’ve made plenty of friends through the festival. There’s so many games, there’s so much to do, there’s such a great atmosphere in the stadium – it’s really, really fun.”

Game of 3 Halves will take place at 6 pm on Wednesday, February 1 at Queen’s PEC, and is open to young people across the city who have not attended these programmes before.

For more information on how to get involved with Game of 3 Halves go to eventbrite.co.uk/game-of-3-halves. For the full 4 Corners Festival programme visit 4cornersfestival.com

Playful Museums Festival returns to Causeway Coast and Glens

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The Playful Museums Festival returns to Causeway Coast and Glens during February with a series of outdoor events, crafts and storytelling for children aged 3 – 4

Join the Museum Services team to ‘Seek, Find, Speak, Create’ at one of four local green spaces for an outdoor trail to explore nature’s treasures followed by an indoor family craft workshop.

Activities will be facilitated by The Hares Corner Cooperative, and, with help from Freddie the Squirrel, children will be encouraged to look for the signs of nature.

Participants will have a chance to get creative together by decorating a frame representing nature using items gathered from the outdoors and museum collections.

The children’s work will then go on display in a week-long exhibition at Ballymoney Museum.

The four sessions will take place from 10am-12pm in the following locations:

Tuesday 7th February, Roe Valley Country Park – Green Lane Museum;

Thursday 9th February, Anderson Park – Coleraine Town Hall;

Tuesday 21st February, Megaw Park – Ballymoney Town Hall;

Thursday 23rd February, Ballycastle Forest Park – Ramoan Parish Centre.

The Playful Museum’s Festival programme also includes a storytelling session for 3–4-year-olds with Colin Urwin from the Armstrong Storytelling Trust on Wednesday 8th February in Ballymoney Town Hall from 10am – 11am.

For more information and to book your free place at any of the events please email cms@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk or ring Ballymoney Visitor Information enter on 028 2766 0230.

The sessions are delivered with support from the NIMC Playful Museums Festival grant funding.

Dublin Coffee Chain FUEL Invests £100k In South Belfast Café

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FUEL Lisburn Road creates 8 jobs locally

Dublin’s renowned coffee chain FUEL has opened its first Belfast branch on the Lisburn Road, in a £100,000 investment that is set to create at least eight new hospitality jobs, to begin with.

Belfast born businessman David Beggs has two FUEL branches in Dublin in Rathmines and Clontarf but aims to further expand the offering in Northern Ireland in the future.

Based in Dublin, he said it was inevitable he would eventually open in his home city as he further developed FUEL from its initial roots.

“Having experienced some really good eateries in places like New York I wanted to bring the international love of and accessibility of healthy, tasty, and vibrant food home,” David said. 

“Trends are changing, and people want high-quality food that is good for their body and soul.”

With a background in professional healthcare, David has a heightened awareness of the need to bring healthy street food into the community. 

“We all know the phrase ‘you are what you eat’ but the thing is, it’s not what you eat on one day, it’s the consistency of what you eat and how it fits into your ecosystem. It needs to be accessible,” he explained, adding: “Whenever you’re eating the right food for a sustained period of time, you’re going to feel better, you’re going to sleep better and you would hope that everything else will fall into place.”

David admitted that his drive to lead a healthier lifestyle was not a trait he was born with, but rather something he learnt over time which is why he is keen on giving people easy access to quick and healthy food.

He explained: “We want to provide people with healthy, tasty, and vibrant food to eat in or on the go.The Dublin-based businessman knows the benefits of making healthy choices himself.

“I believe that diet is something you have to constantly work at making some tweaks here and there and then hopefully see the benefits. My current regime seems to be the one that is best for blood sugar levels, mental health, and general well being.”

This is not to say that David is waging a war on sugar. He believes that there is a time and place for everything, but while on weekdays people would opt for salads, healthy soups, and other healthy options, on the weekend’s many people break out into an all-day-brunch menu which can still serve you well.

With FUEL, his vision is one with a community vibe at heart. 

“The idea of the local pub being the epicentre of the community is gone,” he explained. “People are meeting at coffee shops and very much at the takeaway coffee shops because they may not have the time to sit for an hour and a half with each other, but they’ll have a catch up as they grab and go.”

Manager of FUEL in Belfast, Thom Moreland says the values of the brand and its healthy range of options will resonate well with customers visiting the Lisburn Road outlet.

“When customers arrive at FUEL they will be greeted with great coffee in a community focused setting where they can choose from a range of everything from your healthy options such as protein pancake stack, sweet potato fritters and chorizo eggs all the way to your beautifully indulgent fresh dishes like our decadent french toast, breakfast burrito and range of pastries and protein balls.

“One of the things we’ve found is that many groups of friends find it difficult to find something for everyone so we’ve curated a menu that gives you the option to choose the dish that suits you best, especially if you’re on a cheat day.

“All our produce is sourced locally, we have a wide range of gluten free and vegan options and our freshly squeezed, made on site juices, have become a firm favourite with our regulars.

“We’re delighted to be opened on Lisburn Road, the bustling heart of South Belfast. The community here has been incredibly welcoming and we’re looking forward to getting to know everyone.”

Show your love for LegenDerry food this February

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Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Sandra Duffy, has launched a month long celebration of the City and District’s thriving food and drink scene.

Love LegenDerry will take place throughout the month of February and feature a programme of events and initiatives to allow locals and visitors to sample the best of our food offering.

Derry City and Strabane District Council Mayor, Councillor Sandra Duffy pictured at the launch of the Love Legenderry Food Month with, Emily McCorkell, Chairperson, Selina Horshi, Margaret Edwards, DCSDC, Feargal Doherty, Mark and Shauna Froydenlund, Odhran Dunne, CEO, Visit Derry. Picture Martin McKeown. 13.01.23

Members of the LegenDerry Food Network, in partnership with Council and Visit Derry, are bringing together an exciting programme of events and experiences to celebrate our vibrant food and drink scene in the city and beyond.

“The LegenDerry Food Network has made significant strides over the past few years to strengthen the range and quality of our food and drink offering,” said Mayor Duffy.

“The City and District has now firmly established itself as a foody destination and more and more visitors are coming to sample our locally sourced food and drink.

“Love LegenDerry will celebrate how far we have come and encourage locals and visitors to get out and about across the City and District and sample our authentic experience for themselves.”

Tourism Manager at Derry City and Strabane District Council, Margaret Edwards, explained more about the initiative.

“The overall ambition of the Love LegenDerry campaign is to drive economic benefit by extending the food tourism season and attract visitors to travel here, stay overnight and sample our food experiences.

“It aims to enhance the reputation of our food and drink offering by using local produce, raising awareness of local provenance, great quality and value for money and provide a financial boost to our food businesses by extending their peak season.

“Members of the network created a series of special events during the month to highlight and celebrate the thriving scene here.”

Events include Meet the Producers at a long table event with Soda and Starch and Artis, a special Valentine’s gin making experience at the Walled City Brewery, afternoon tea at the White Horse Hotel and a new foodie fusion experience with a set menu of French inspired Irish cuisine.

You can also have fun at a special couples cooking experience, visit a goat farm in the Sperrins, find out about cheese making, take part in some urban foraging, experience a ‘wine, wild and wasted’ tasting dinner with talks and a focus on zero waste and an oyster and stout bluegrass festival at the Walled City Brewery.

The LegenDerry Food Brand and Network was set up by Council and the private sector in February 2019 to bring forward ambitious plans to build on the North West’s unique food offering as part of the wider food and drink strategy for the Council area.

Full details are available at www.legenderryfood.com

4 Corners Festival Announces This Year’s Programme

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The annual 4 Corners Festival programme has been unveiled featuring a range of art, music, discussion, sport and faith-based events from January 29 to February 5 in venues across the city and streamed online across various platforms.

The Festival, which announced its dates for 2023 earlier this month alongside this year’s theme, Dreams…Visions for Belfast is now in its 11th year inspiring people from across the city to transform it for the peace and wellbeing of all.

This year’s week-long festivities will give people the opportunity to listen to the dreams and visions for a better Belfast from Church leaders and women in leadership to children and young people from working-class PUL (Protestant, Unionist, Loyalist) communities, the homeless and artists.

2023 marks a number of significant anniversaries: 25 years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement and 60 years since Martin Luther King’s ‘I Had A Dream’ speech. The 2023 festival explores whether the dreams behind these historic events have been realised and if we still hold enough hope to dream big for Belfast. 

Included in this year’s busy programme will be a photographic exhibition and discussion of homelessness in the city, women in peace building, visions of Belfast, and will conclude with the theme of ‘the city where dreams become reality’.

In ‘Never In My Wildest Dreams’, a photographic exhibition will be installed at Artcetera Studio people will get the opportunity to explore the topic of homelessness in Belfast city and beyond. This eye-opening exhibit aims to increase awareness of and encourage discussion around the grim reality of homelessness in our city and speak the truth about the issues that force people into it.

Throughout the week, visitors will also be able to experience an immersive video and audio installation titled ‘Present Future’ at the Telegraph Buildings which explores themes of dreams, aspirations and leadership from the perspective of children and young people in PUL communities in Northern Ireland. 

Each night of the festival, Rev Kiran Young Wimberly and Jim Deeds will lead a night prayer with a mix of contemplation, music and scripture to help reflect on the day that’s been and on the events in the festival via Zoom.

The week-long festival will also feature a range of innovative events designed to entice people out of their own ‘corners’ of the city and into new places where they will encounter new perspectives, new ideas and hopefully meet new friends.

Discussions will take place around synodal conversations which inform the future of the Catholic Church as well as women’s role in peacebuilding via a panel including Inspector Róísín Brown from the PSNI, Dr Maria-Adriana Deiana from Queen’s University, Eileen Weir from the Shankill Women’s Centre and Emma De Sousa, campaigner and writer.

Speakers at the events will include Dana Masters, who will be talking about Civil Rights and its impact on America as well as the families of its leaders and Captain of the Belfast Giants ice hockey team David Goodwin who will speak about his own dreams as a sportsman and as a captain of the team in a specific place.

Another highlight of this year’s festival will be the screening ‘The Letter’, a documentary which starts with a personal letter and invitation from Pope Francis to 5 climate activists from different parts of the globe to enable their voices to be listened to as we face together the climate emergency we are all facing today.

Alongside all this, young people aged 11-14 are invited to an exciting evening of sports and team activities delivered in partnership with PeacePlayers – NI in ‘Game of Three Halves’, where participants will try their hand at playing games including GAA, soccer and rugby in integrated teams from across Belfast.

The festival will conclude with a vision from near the end of the Biblical scriptures led by Rev. Dr. Inderjit Bhogal OBE, the Founder and President of the City of Sanctuary movement, a former President of the British Methodist Conference and former Leader of the Corrymeela Community who will discuss what it means to live in a city with open gates.

The full programme of events is available on 4cornersfestival.com

AB&C Insurance Named As 2023 NI Motorcycle Plus Show Sponsor

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The 2023 NI Motorcycle Plus Show, hosted by 360 Events, is proud to announce AB&C Insurance as the new headline sponsor for the upcoming February extravaganza.

This is a first for the long established, family-owned, local company, as they put their support behind the return of the weekend show at the Eikon Centre on February 4 and 5.

Planned as a curtain raiser for the start of the motorcycling season for the year ahead the show will attract fans of both on and off road competitions as well as bike enthusiasts across the country.

Attractions at this year’s show will include everything from trade stands with motorcycle and rider equipment and merchandise as well as talks with guest speakers, Q&As, meet and greets, vintage vehicles and much more.

Kenny Gardner of 360 Events said: “We’re delighted to be welcoming BSB Superstock Champion and North West 200 winner, Richard Cooper as well as multiple TT winner, and Ulster Grand Prix superstock lap record holder, Dean Harrison who will be over from England for the event, along with former World Grand Prix 250 winner, North West 200 and Daytona winner Jeremy McWilliams, and British Superbike Championship rider, Korie McGreavey who are also set to appear at the show.

“Former road racer turned commentator Gareth Keys has also been confirmed as the host and compere for the event who will be organising interviews, question and answer sessions and making sure all attendees know what is happening throughout the two days.”

Sponsor AB&C Insurance is a welcome addition to the show lineup with over 50 years of experience in the general insurance sector with decades serving insurance for motor and motorcycle customers.

AB&C Insurance associate director Amy Logan, believes the partnership with the NI Motorcycle show is highly complementary.

She said: “We are delighted to put our name to this remarkable event and look forward to being on site across the two days to speak to existing and hopefully new customers.

“We look forward to working closely with 360 Events to ensure the two days are maximised in every way possible and that those attending the Eikon Centre will have a fabulous day out.

“We have provided insurance products to the motor industry for years, but we very much want to concentrate on the motorcycle market and association with the show is a major part of our strategy in 2023.”

AB&C Insurance will also be on hand representing their five branches in Belfast, Lisburn, Banbridge, Lurgan and Dungannon throughout the weekend offering single and multi-bike policies, with breakdown, legal and key cover available. Staff will also be able to advise attendees on a range of other insurance services including home, commercial and travel insurance products, with quality insurers and highly competitive rates. 

For young drivers, AB&C Insurance is renowned for its innovative telematics product, Lollybox, that helps to drive down the cost of insurance.

Speaking of the sponsorship Kenny added: “On behalf of the 360 Events team we are absolutely delighted to have AB&C Insurance on board this year. Many of our team have personal experience with the guys at AB&C over many years and for us it is a perfect fit.”

The Motorcycle Plus Show will take place at Eikon Centre in Lisburn on February 4-5, 2023. 

All online bookings will be entered into a free raffle to win prizes such as a small motorbike, discounted ferry bookings and other prizes. 

More details on the prizes will be confirmed but there are vouchers to the value of £1000, £300, £100, 4 ball golf voucher, and money off ferry travel vouchers to be had from Hursts, Crossan’s, Norman Watt Motorcycles, Edenmore Golf Club and Nutt Travel. 

For tickets go to motorcycleplusshow.co.uk

Public asked to help regenerate Belfast’s forgotten spaces

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A new project has been launched today (23 January 2023) inviting people to share images of the unloved spaces of Belfast and to imagine what they could become.

Forgotten Spaces is a new Liminal Space Belfast project in partnership with the Imagine! Festival of Ideas & Politics which seeks to involve the public in discussion about how to regenerate the city.

The unique project is designed to be the first stage of a process that will highlight and map a range of forgotten spaces with the intention of making use of them in future programming with the Imagine! Festival and other partners. The public are invited to submit details for an online exhibition of a derelict site or forgotten space which will be hosted on the festival’s website. A competition for the best image and description will take place with prizes awarded for the best entries as part of the forthcoming Imagine! Belfast Festival of Ideas & Politics.

Project curator, Meadhbh McIlgorm, said:

“Liminal Space Belfast has developed a number of exciting projects that use alleyways and entries to host outdoor exhibitions and performances. Forgotten Spaces is an extension of this work, and I hope we can help regenerate forgotten and neglected places  to help reimagine the city.”

The open call for people to submit photos and comments about their unloved spaces is now open on the Imagine! Festival website (imaginebelfast.com) and will close on 12 February. Submissions will be exhibited, with a public vote, on the website  during March, and will be presented at a special event and prize giving during the festival on 22 March in the Europa Hotel. Category prizes of (£100, £75 and £50) for the best images and best descriptions will be decided by public vote and by a selection panel at the event.

According to Peter O’Neill, Imagine! Festival Director:

“We want the citizens of Belfast to share images of their favourite unloved spaces which deserve some attention. We also want to hear what they could become in the first step towards regeneration and useful purpose. The festival seeks to stimulate new ideas on politics and culture so we are delighted to support this exciting new project which will hopefully capture the imagination of local people who care about the future of this great city.”

A TALE OF BRIBERY, DECEPTION AND DISGUISE AT THE MARKET PLACE THEATRE

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Ulster Touring Opera are coming to Armagh’s Market Place Theatre with Rossini’s ‘The Barber Of Seville’ a tale of bribery, deception and disguise!

Figaro, town barber and jack-of-all-trades, is going to need all his wiles to outwit old Dr Bartolo and make sure true love wins the day.

Carrickfergus-born mezzo-soprano Sarah Richmond sings Rosina in an international cast featuring Thomas Chenhall as the industrious barber and rising star Jack Roberts as the lovestruck Count.

Following his success in UTO’s ‘A Night At The Opera’ tour, Belfast baritone Malachy Frame re-joins the company in the role of Basilio, and Spanish soprano Lorena Paz Nieto takes on the fiery role of Berta.

The production will be sung in English in Amanda Holden’s beloved translation. With vocal fireworks, scheming lovers and one very busy barber, Rossini’s comic opera is bursting with fun, mischief and the world’s best tunes.

‘The Barber Of Seville’ will be staged on Saturday 4 February at 8pm. Tickets are priced £17.50 and £15 (concession), and can be booked online at www.visitarmagh.com/marketplacetheatre or through the Box Office on 03300 561 025.

Crusaders FC Disappointed As North Belfast Loses Out Again On Vital Regeneration Money

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No levelling up for North Belfast community plans

Crusaders Football Club has expressed disappointment after losing out on funding as part of the Government’s Levelling Up Fund, branding the Northern Ireland process as ‘flawed’.

The North Belfast club entered a bid for the most recent round two of the government’s Levelling Up Fund with plans that would have benefited the area desperate for regeneration. 

The club’s plans included the building of the Shore Road Skills Centre, which would have provided the local community with a hub of wellness, sport, community outreach and education.

The new centre was set to see organisations such as Belfast Met use the space as well as being able to expand the offerings of the Crusaders Full Time Football Academy.

Already Crusaders Football Academy have partnerships with schools all across North Belfast offering young people the opportunity to pursue sport and wellbeing as part of their curriculum.

Speaking of the news Crusaders Football Club treasurer Tommy Whiteside said:  “Crusaders Football Club are disappointed that our Shore Road Skills Centre Levelling Up Round 2 bid has been unsuccessful. 

“The Levelling-Up Fund was highly competitive and, whilst oversubscribed, our club was very proud to be associated with such a strong bid. 

“We are saddened too, that North Belfast, an area of multiple disadvantage, has lost the opportunity to build a much needed and vital piece of educational infrastructure.

“We are, however, concerned that the Ministerial decision-making process in Northern Ireland for Round 2 was not in line with that in Great Britain, despite the fact that ‘Funding Guidance Notes’ were uniform across the United Kingdom.

“In Great Britain project bids had to have a minimum score of 75% to be considered by Ministers for funding; however in Northern Ireland the minimum score to be considered for funding was lowered to 56.67%. 

“The Quality scoring threshold should be uniform across the UK to ensure equality and fairness.

“In England, Scotland and Wales multiple project bids in each Local Authority Area were funded, with the funding award based on the merits of the bid through the scoring matrix of the individual application. 

“However, in Northern Ireland alone, only one project bid per Local Authority would be awarded funding. This new and unpublished criteria was applied retrospectively without the advance knowledge of any bidder. 

“Criteria introduced ‘after the fact’ in Northern Ireland, we say, renders the competitive process in round two fatally flawed.  This is patently unfair to bidders in Northern Ireland.

“Project bids in Northern Ireland may (and are likely to) have been disadvantaged by this local ‘bastardisation’ of the Ministerial decision-making process.

“Further, had bidders been aware of the “one project per Council” criteria in advance, effectively giving the local authority a veto,  it is unlikely that many would have expended many thousands of pounds in speculative bid-preparation.

“Having spent considerable sums of our members’ money in bid preparation we will be raising our concerns now, directly with the Minister, Michael Gove, MP.”

BBC’s The One Show comes to Another World Belfast

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The Another World Belfast duo with a mission to SHOW SOME LOVE received a surprise ‘One Big Thank You’ from 80’s icon Sonia and BBC’s ‘The One Show’ in their city centre Swap Shop.

The BBC crew set up in their Swap Shop space on Winetavern Street Belfast with a hidden camera ruse from Eurovision pop sensation Sonia helped along by a host of their supporters and a few more celebrity guests. 

The surprise continued around the corner with their big screen playing a range of messages from well-wishers from Emma Bunton (Baby Spice) to local politician Kate Nicholl, thanking them on behalf of the NI Executive Office, local change maker Marcus Hunter- Neill Aka Lady Portia and human rights trailblazer Ciara Moynagh. 

The local charitable organisation was set up by creative activists Connor Kerr and Becky Bellamy. Founded in 2017 Another World Belfat celebrated their 5th Birthday on 10th November and had been preparing to host a party in their Swap Shop that evening.

Connor said: “We’re still recovering from the shock, and as this all happened for our 5th birthday back in November, we have had to keep it quiet since then, so it’s definitely a relief to have it all out in the open now.

 “We have worked so hard, and sacrificed an unimaginable amount to bring these projects together, so this very poignant reflection has allowed us to stop, be grateful and proud of what we, and our incredible volunteers have achieved since we first started way back in 2017.”

The pair has worked for years to collect and supply essential need items like clothing, underwear and toiletries to local people experiencing hardship. 

Becky said: “We’re all biz to have been visited by BBC’s ‘The One show’, and for me, being a child of the 80’s, meeting the absolute icon Sonia and having her in store chatting to her about our work was very special indeed. 

“We’re touched beyond words at the efforts made by all the contributors, and our board for conspiring to bring us this surprise, but we’ve made them all promise never to keep a secret from us ever again. 

“For so many reasons, both personal and professional, openness and truth are some of our most key values so we were a bit uncomfortable with that element. That said, it was a great piece, and they told the story of our work, which can at times seems complicated, beautifully. We’re very grateful to everyone involved.”

 

Another World Belfast’s partner charities include The Rainbow project, Cara friend, Here NI, Women’s Aid, Flourish NI and Anaka Collective.

If you want to help, you can donate clothing, accessories, brand new toiletries & underwear plus ‘like new’ make up and shoes, you can apply to volunteer your time, or you can donate money to help them pay their growing bills via their current ‘Just Giving’ fundraising link. 

Every £30 spent in store or donated, pays for a person to visit the FreeStore,

For more information on how to shop, swap or lend a hand yourself visit anotherworldbelfast.com or search @anotherworldbelfast on social.

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