THE ARTS
The Arts are a vital portal to an understanding of our heritage and society, playing an important role in current development as well as the study and interpretation of the past.
This is very much the case in the 'Homeplace' project where the multi-functionality of the proposed Arts performance space will link into the Heritage Gallery in a number of ways. Not only as a means of interpreting historical data, but in a very practical sense by contributing to the sustainability of the project in terms of providing an important source of revenue though Events Programmes and corporate hire facilities.
The exciting Arts performance space proposed for the barge 'Confiance' will take up one of the vessel's two cargo holds each measuring approximately 1,000 sq ft.
The performance space will be extremely versatile with the potential to support a whole range of cultural events and programmes... Music, Theatre, Cinema, Art Exhibitions and Workshops as well as providing Conference and Seminar facilities.
Already a number of major Belfast Festivals, including 'Belfast Film Festival', 'Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival', 'Open House Festival', 'Titanic-Made in Belfast Festival', 'Belfast Festival at Queens' and 'Francis McPeake International Summer School', have expressed keen interest in using this space as a venue for annual festival events.
Community Arts groups under the umbrella of the Community Arts Forum have also expressed interest, as have a whole host of independent Arts groups and Workshop providers, Arts promoters and individual artists.
The unique location and character of this venue in being actually ON the river, will add significantly to its potential as a venue, a tourist attraction and an educational resource !!
We welcome Arts groups and events promoters who wish to contribute ideas as to how the venue may be further developed over time to become a signficant and characterful Arts Centre and a popular city landmark in Belfast.
Plans for the multi-functional Arts space are currently being drafted
Subject to Health & Safety and Fire Regulations approval of site plans
we hope that the Arts space will be ready to open by March/April 2007