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The profile of women as leaders has been a positive development of the COVID19 pandemic. That’s the findings of a new survey being released today on International Women’s Day 2023.

The survey was conducted by Women in PR NI, an independent and not-for-profit initiative, run by communication advisers, Michelle Canning and Sara McCracken.

Michelle and Sara, both Fellows of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) said:

“Today marks our fifth year in existence, nearly three of which were impacted by the COVID pandemic. It is fitting that we mark today, IWD 2023, by kickstarting the conversation on how the last three years has impacted women across the fields of communications, media and public relations.

“Societally, we all know that the pandemic has disproportionately impacted women negatively so naturally, the question for us was what had been the impact for women working in our industry.  And it has really presented a mixed bag of findings.

“We can see the really positive impact of women in leadership roles during the pandemic and the public spotlight on how they have effectively taken on the challenges presented to them.

“In our own industry, many women have excelled, are energised and are reaping the rewards.  Yet there are others who feel overworked, excluded and invisible. There are those who, as a result of the pandemic, have decided to reset the clock, find a better work-life balance and reprioritise.

“Worryingly, nearly 20 per cent of our members felt burnt out. Whilst that may be a small number given the size of our survey, we only have to look to the recent resignations of high-profile women in public life, Canadian PM Jacinda Ardern and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, to recognise that this is a huge issue that stretches beyond our industry.”

Results

Over half of the women surveyed said they felt the profile of professional females had been impacted positively over the past three years. A huge 70% of women who responded said their career had not been stalled by the pandemic and had, in fact, progressed with 68% reporting they have been promoted.

Hybrid working and flexibility are now the norm, according to women in the communications industry. 71% say they have a better work/life balance and an overwhelming majority, 90%, reporting that their employers had flexible working policies.

Despite this welcome development, a fifth of women surveyed felt burnt out.

Michelle and Sara added:

“For the women we speak to, flexible working practices need to be the norm and employers need to embrace the non-traditional working patterns that have emerged since the pandemic.

“The prevailing issues still need to be tackled such as affordable childcare and lack of support for carers. The reality is that it is predominantly women who shoulder the responsibility, whether it is children or dependents, and until those issues are addressed then it will continue to have a detrimental impact on women, families, society.

“And we also need to focus on how women can succeed and achieve without having to sacrifice too much. Women in PR is intent on ensuring that in post-pandemic 2023 women in our industry will be given the opportunity to reconnect, re-energise and re-establish networks. These findings will form the basis for a tailored bespoke programme of workshops and events that we will deliver.

If you want to join Women in PR contact them at womeninprni@gmail.com or follow them on Twitter @womeninprni/

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is hosting a wide range of family friendly events and initiatives to celebrate the Coronation – ranging from big screen broadcasts, to community grants and activities for local schoolkids.

At a meeting of Council on Monday night, Councillors agreed to a comprehensive plan to mark the historic event locally.

The programme is led up by Council’s Coronation Working Group, which includes Cllr Cheryl Brownlee (Chair), Cllr Keith Turner, Cllr Matthew Armstrong, Cllr William McCaughey, Cllr Gregg McKeen and Cllr Lauren Gray.

The Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort takes place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6 May 2023.

The Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Alderman, Wing Commander, Noel Williams, said: “The Coronation ceremony will be broadcast live on big screens in Larne, Carrickfergus and Ballymena, with a range of activities and free entertainment taking place at the same venues.

“In the coming days, Council will be inviting local community groups to apply for grants of up to £500 towards hosting their own events and celebrations within the Borough. This may include those groups wishing to take part in the ‘Coronation Big Lunch’ on Sunday 7 May, for street parties on Monday 8 May, or other celebrations. Interested groups should follow Council’s social media channels for the very latest information.

“Members of the public are also invited to take part in ‘The Big Help Out’ on the Bank Holiday Monday, which will encourage people to try volunteering for themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas.”

Other activities planned include the lighting up of key buildings in the area, the planting of Coronation-themed floral displays, the rollout of commemorative coins and special colouring books, tree-planting, jewellery-making workshops, certificates for newborns, exhibitions and talks.

Chair of Council’s Coronation Working Group, Cllr Brownlee, said: “We’re delighted to be celebrating the Coronation in Mid and East Antrim, and look forward to delivering a programme of events and activities designed to be enjoyed by all our residents.

“Our Borough has strong links with the Royal Family and we look forward to promoting and indeed building on those ties in the weeks, months and years ahead.”

Further details will be made available in due course, with updates posted at midandeastantrim.gov.uk/coronation

On 23-26 March, Walled City Music Festival will bring together Young Artists from Northern Ireland Opera, the Royal Irish Academy of Music and Walled City Music Piano Festival to take part in a series of education projects during its festival week, culminating in a Festival-closing performance by the students in the beautiful surroundings of the Great Hall, Ulster University Magee.

NI Opera Young Artists, soprano Petra Wells and baritone Ryan Garnham, will be joined by WCM Piano Festival Young Artist Dida Condria on the afternoon of Sunday 26th March, to perform a variety concert of vocal favourites, not to be missed.

The recital will set off a week of masterclasses, education and outreach work delivered by the festival’s guest artists to participating Young Artists from NI Opera and RIAM, as Walled City Music continues its tradition of inspiring local young musicians, and placing upcoming Irish talent at the heart of its programming alongside established, world-class artists.

Co-Artistic Director of the Festival, Cathal Breslin, said “It has always been at the very center of our core at Walled City Music to give a platform for young Irish musical talent, and the NI Opera and WCM International Piano Festival collaboration represents the most exciting things to come from that. We are delighted to continue our ongoing collaboration with NI Opera, and to combine that with a pianist from our Piano Festival is our opportunity to showcase some of the best young talent in Ireland. This is a concert not to be missed!”

The line-up of guest artists for the 2023 Festival includes solo pianist Barry Douglas, cellist Raphael Wallfisch with pianist Cathal Breslin, and mezzo-soprano Sharon Carty with pianist Fiachra Garvey, who are all set to perform in Derry’s beautiful Christ Church venue.

Full details of the Walled City Music Festival programme can be found on the WCM website. Tickets are available on Ticket Source. Keep an eye on the WCM social media channels for updates.

More than forty years after he recorded his first album, ‘Golden Vanity’, in 1976, Martin Simpson is known as a guitarist of formidable talent.

Equally at home playing English traditional folk, American folk and blues and his own compositions, he is consistently named as one of the very finest fingerstyle guitar players in the world.

He is listed in Gibson Guitars’ Top 30 Acoustic Guitarists of all time, and Acoustic Guitar readers voted him number 12 guitarist in the world in 2005.

Universally acclaimed as one of the finest ever acoustic and slide guitar players, and a fine banjo-picker to boot, his solo shows bear witness to an artist at the very top of his game. Whether interpreting material from tradition or singing his own potent self-penned songs, Simpson is a remarkable storyteller: captivating and profoundly moving.

Martin Simpson will perform for one night only on Friday 3 March at 8.00pm. Tickets are priced £16 and can be booked online at www.visitarmagh.com/marketplacetheatre or through the Box Office on 03300 561 025.

The original conception for Raft Race Weekend was for it to be a way of having fun on the beach whilst raising some money for the Lifeboat – and little has changed as that’s exactly what the Raft Race committee are planning for this year on 27th and 28th May.  As with that first Raft Race the main theme is to seek out the most unusual raft (which in 1982 was won by the Quinquireme of Nineveh which was crewed with “galley slaves, a skeleton, a shark and an albatross!”

(a Google search reveals, “Quinquireme of Nineveh” is a great opening to a poem – a galley with five banks of oars travelling between Nineveh, the ancient city on the Tigris, and Ophir, a mysterious place, possibly on the African shore of the Red Sea.”  Who knew!!)

Further details of this fun filled weekend will follow but we can reveal the event has two main sponsors this year.  The wonderful Ramore Complex are “back on board” – no pun intended – and the committee are delighted to welcome to the team Exorna Kitchens and Bedrooms.  Head Honcho of Exorna has expressed his delight and said, “we’re already enthusiasts of the event and we’re also encouraging our suppliers to become involved”.

Whilst the Raft Race proper takes place on the Saturday we can also reveal that two popular items from back in the day are being revisited with both the Waiters’ Race and a Pantomime Horse Race scheduled for the Sunday.  Make no mistake, there’s a plethora of crazy and quirky events lined up for an action packed 40th weekend of celebrations and attempting to keep the whole thing together without the use of a safety net or a cattle prod is their irrepressible Compere Brian Moore.  “We’ve all had a few rough years so it’s great to see this iconic event back and I’m looking forward to a packed Portrush with all the unique fun the Raft Race Weekend brings.  It’s the ideal family event and raises so much needed funding for the RNLI”.

Raft Race Committee Chairperson Trevor Abernethy has been delighted with the early response to this year’s event and says, “we’ve been taken aback by the number of early entries and with the website now live we’re confident that the 40th celebrations are going to see a record attendance”

To enter your raft go to

www.portrushraftrace.co.uk

Belfast is gearing up to host this year’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations with an extended festival that will include a trad trail, free concert and colourful carnival pageant.

The new look programme, which will build on the success of last year’s approach, will see Custom House Square host a free concert on Thursday 16 March, organised by The Duncairn Arts Centre.

Headlined by award-winning singer/songwriter Lisa Hannigan, the family-friendly, alcohol-free event will also see performances by trad supergroup Jiggy who mix Irish traditional music, world rhythms and cutting-edge dance grooves, ethnic dance group Shamrock Bhangra and internationally acclaimed folk singer David Keenan.

There will be free face painting, circus performers, and balloon artists and buskers to keep little ones entertained, as well as a selection of food vendors on site.

And on St Patrick’s Day (17 March) the annual parade organised by Beat Carnival will snake its way through the city centre – a colourful pageant of costumes, music, dance, circus and theatrical performances.

Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Tina Black said: “I am so looking forward to everything that’s in store for St Patrick’s Day this year; the city is going to be buzzing. As a UNESCO City of Music, not surprisingly music will be at the heart of our celebrations; with musicians from across the island of Ireland taking part in Féile’s trad trail in venues across the city. And our St Patrick’s Eve concert looks set to be a fantastic evening and one that all the family can enjoy.

“I’m really excited about leading the St Patrick’s Day parade and seeing the city come alive with colour and performances. The parade is always a huge hit with hundreds of people lining the route and soaking up the atmosphere. I would encourage everyone to come and join in the fun and be part of this vibrant celebration of our city.”

The theme of this year’s parade is ‘Voices of Belfast’ and it will celebrate Belfast’s vibrant musical heritage including folk, disco, punk and electronic. The parade will leave City Hall at 1.30pm on Friday 17 March, through Chichester Street, Victoria Street, High Street, Castle Place, Donegall Place and back to City Hall.

David Boyd, Beat Carnival Director said: “We’re working on a ‘Voices of Belfast’ cavalcade to present colourful pictures of our rich musical life. Sounds of ancient horns will lead the parade, followed by lively trad from our folk and percussion community. Of course we need some disco for dancing on the street and there’ll also be a punk choir. Ending the parade, our DJ will be mixing it up on the techno float with dance club beats and Asian grooves, and there’ll be the skirl of pipes and drums in the air as we welcome over 150 world-wide members of the Lions Clubs International to our city. It’s shaping up to be a fantastic spectacle with lots to see and hear.”

Ray Giffen, Creative Director of the Duncairn added: “The Duncairn team is delighted to be invited back to curate this special St Patrick’s event for the city. We look forward to another inclusive, family-focused celebration of our artists, music, communities and diversity.”

Féile’s Trad Trail will take place from March 10-19 in venues across Belfast’s Gaeltacht Quarter and city centre.

Kevin Gamble, Director at Féile an Phobail said: “Féile an Phobail is delighted to once again be involved in supporting the animation of the city in the lead up to and during St Patricks Day. The Féile Trad trail will bring an eclectic mix of Irish music sessions to venues and spaces right across the city, showcasing the very best of local Irish traditional musicians and highlighting the rich Irish cultural heritage of traditional music in Belfast.”

St George’s Market is also getting in on the craic this year with a St Patrick’s Day themed market on Friday 17 March with live traditional Irish music performances from members of Ards Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann; and 2 Royal Avenue will host a free concert by Celtic Storm on Saturday 18 March.

Meanwhile community groups from across the city are participating in an oral history project delivered by MayWe Events which will culminate in an oral histories showcase at 2 Royal Avenue during March.

Tickets for the free concert at Custom House Square on Thursday 16 March will be available via Visit Belfast’s website from Monday 6 March at 10am.

For more info on the full programme of St Patrick’s Day events including ticketing info, visit www.belfastcity.gov.uk/stpatricks