Monday 24 May 2010

Balls in North Belfast and strange goings on in Hillsborough

My very busy schedual has taken me all over the place in the last few days from Thursday I went to the opening of a very acomplished painter at Queens street studios Angela Hackett paintings of India wonderful textures and textile patterns of Indian life. Then to Catylst where they opened the boxes buried 14 years ago in the floor of exhibition space as well as having an exhibition of people who have been directors over that time as well. There are some interesting names Susan McWilliams, Peter Richards, Brendan O Neill, Dan Shipsides, Gary Shaw and I have to say some less familar names someone said of the boxes "who are all those people that I have never heard off" and I suppose maybe it will make them think that for every person who 14 years on is still praticing in some shape or form their own work there are all those people who for what ever reason even though they have talent and good possibilities. Just don't get anywhere with what they do. A little lesson there for some hopefuls.

Friday night I went to the Ulster orchestra and could'nt help thinking what are the possibilities of this audience ever having a look at the art going around Belfast at the moment, the interestihng underground stuff? Well I did notice a man there who I saw at Gary Laws talk, but the chances of the two linking would be pretty slim.


Saturday I went up to the childrens festival in the Waterworks where Red apple arts, Ngaire Jackson and Clare Lawson were installing their floating spheres on the water. They looked fantastic and as it was a beautuful day there were thousands of people out and about in the park watching the acts and eating and looking.There were two tents filled with craft and bits and pieces and making and doing and thousands of children. The arts council should be very happy with the turn out and it seems to have put the event on the map in as far as putting North Belfsst on the Map goes. I believe it made the 6 o'clock news.

On Sunday I went up to Hillsborough castle garden festival. Tucked in the back of the grounds Mo Molam gave Praxis a site where they have a learning space for their client groups. It has an organic cafe and well worth a visit any time of the year. But I found the event it's self a bit strange. Very well organised but I could'nt help thinking about the guy selling Australian OLive Oil, has the world gone mad?? what its it's carbon foot print?? why import olive oil from the other side of the world when , Greece, France etc has tonnes of the stuff. Maybe the people in Greece would not be rioting if people supported it's economy a bit more. Then I though it was ironic that the Rotary club were collecting Money to send emergency relief supplies to counties that are expereincing difficluties due to climate change!!!! All the good people were dropping in theri money in the buckets to support the good cause. No doubt after buying their Australian Olive oil and their cheap imported goods from alot of the other stands. The world has gone mad................. and the volcano keeps erupting.

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