Reading Between the Lines of Belfast’s Future
By Ellie Somers
Lest the russet-hued sludge inundating our footpaths or yuletide displays adorning store windows were not sufficient indicators, another year’s end is almost upon us, and what a year it has been for arts and culture(!) In August, Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann made a rare expedition north, 1.65 million spectators in tow, transfiguring the streets of Belfast into a pulsing heart of Irish music, song, dance and language. The 64th instalment of Belfast International Arts Festival is set to conclude on November 8th, with over 200 events across 30 venues spanning theatre, dance, music, visual arts and literature under its belt. The fleeting nature of such festivities encourages swift immersion, attendees persuaded to adopt a ‘when it’s gone, it’s gone’ outlook. Unfortunately, though it tends to be taken for granted, recent events illustrate that the same approach applies even to seemingly everlasting cultural institutions.
A somber day dawned on October 30th as independent bookstore Keats & Chapman lowered its shutters, which poignantly flaunt a graffitied plea urging passersby to “read more,” for the final time. The bookstore, a fixture of the area for more than 22 years, is the last in a long line of independent businesses on Belfast’s North Street to be forcibly evicted in the name of Castlebrooke Investments’ successor to the ill-fated ‘Tribeca’ project that never materialised.
10 years have passed since the development company acquired the land close to St. Anne’s Cathedral, with little promise of action. After what one must imagine was a decade spent tirelessly mulling over the city’s direst needs, then, the firm recently unveiled plans which will see North Street and Donegall Street sacrificed for a residential complex comprised of 1,000 homes. The project’s design team leader Gerry Hughes, in an attempt to demystify any discourse over the venture, contends that their aim is to “respond to the style and character that already exists, with heritage at the heart of that approach” [1]. Readers, do not let the irony be lost that their notion of responding to such existing characteristics appears synonymous with their very dismantling.
Anyway, what could be more indicative of our city’s heritage than an establishment dedicated to showcasing the riches of its vast literary history? One would be remiss if they did not look beyond the surface when considering such spaces, as they do much more than simply house books; they keep our literary inheritance within reach, allowing it to be rediscovered and redistributed, from generation to generation.
The fanfare surrounding Belfast’s cultural calendar, albeit merited, need not deflect from the culture that exists outside of a makeshift festival tent. Of course, the city should not remain frozen in time for the sake of honouring its past, but how can any city expect to meaningfully celebrate its literary heritage whilst allowing the institutions that nurture it to disappear? If heritage truly is at the heart of Belfast’s future, it ought to amount to more than a bullet point on an architect’s brief. Otherwise, we risk fabricating a city that looks the part but has very little left to say.
Find out more about how to help Keats & Chapman here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-our-bookshop-keats-chapman-belfast?cp_src=d
References
[1] Hughes, Gerry. “A people-first approach to design.” North St./Donegall St. https://northst-donegallst.co.uk/our-proposals/design-approach/
