North Belfast, with its vast, rich and diverse historic sites and buildings, is the jewel in the city’s heritage crown. Today, 14 of these historically significant buildings, and a cemetery, who represent the North Belfast Heritage Cluster, came together with invited guests and stakeholders to celebrate the launch of a place making project, Re-Creating a Great Place North Belfast.
Paula Reynolds, Chair of the North Belfast Heritage Cluster explains:
“This innovative project of the North Belfast Heritage Cluster has been funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund and Belfast Charitable Society, and works in partnership with Ulster University. It is fantastic to be able to formally celebrate the much needed and deserved investment in one of the most historically rich and diverse areas of Belfast. These unique heritage assets, which sit in just over a mile radius, collectively tell a fascinating story of Belfast’s past, but more importantly represent and offer a fantastic opportunity for regeneration and a bright future for generations to come.”
Paula Reynolds: Chair of the North Belfast Heritage Cluster.
The North Belfast Heritage Cluster (NBHC) has been going and growing since 2017, working together to build capacity, sustainability and make connections within and across communities with people, stories and heritage in order to support change and create a better place.
Cathy Gormley-Heenan, Provost at Ulster University, said:
“Ulster University is both a ‘new kid on the block’ and one of the oldest stakeholders in this area. Not only have we opened a new campus for 16,000 students in the middle of a catchment area of the Cluster, but the Belfast School of Art and Design is celebrating its 175th Anniversary. So while we have hugely increased our presence, we also see ourselves as long term stakeholders in a historic district which has been neglected, and even abandoned for much of the last fifty years. We are delighted to be a part of this initiative.”
Cathy Gormley-Heenan. Provost, Ulster University
Over 50 attendees representing the heritage, art and culture sector; local business community; and voluntary and community sector attended the launch and were given the opportunity to find out more about the project, which is intrinsically about:
- preserving heritage for the future
- generating pride in place
- exploring our rich and shared history
- building capacity so that we can innovate and animate our assets to meet the needs of today.
Paula Reynolds, Chair of the NBHC explained:
“As a Cluster, we are delighted to be able to continue the work of the Great Place North Belfast project. After years of work laying the foundations with relationship building, capacity building and strengthening our structures and processes, we are excited about this next phase, which will see further investment into the built and community heritage of the sites, focus on the storytelling of the buildings and the people associated with them; and, through partnership working, make regeneration in this part of the city a reality.“
“Our vision is to create a more confident sense of place in partnership with others. The NBHC represents listed buildings, churches, schools and cemeteries packed with the story of Belfast – its wealth, poverty, diversity and philanthropy. And it is not only the buildings which tell a story, but the rich archives that they house, which we will continue to preserve and make accessible for others.“
Paula Reynolds: Chair of the North Belfast Heritage Cluster
The launch event was supported by Glenn Patterson, Belfast born writer of fiction and non-fiction, and the founding patron of Fighting Words. Glenn is a champion of this city, its people and its stories on local, national and global stages.
“No one story of Belfast can tell all the stories of Belfast. No more can one story of North Belfast tell all of North Belfast’s stories. Cities are anthologies, endlessly added to. North Belfast Heritage Cluster: Recreating A Great Place Project is an invitation to expand our knowledge of the stories that have been told and begin to shape the stories to come.”
Glenn Patterson: Author, Founder of Fighting Words and Director of the Sheamus Heaney Centre.
The North Belfast Heritage Cluster members include Belfast Cathedral (St Anne’s), Redeemer Central, St Patrick’s Church and Parochial House, St Patrick’s School, the Quaker Meeting House, Clifton House, Clifton Street Cemetery, Belfast Orange Hall, Indian Community Centre, Carnegie Old Park Library, North Belfast Working Men’s Club, Annesley Street Synagogue, St Malachy’s College and Duncairn Arts and Culture Centre.