New artistic hub aiming to show some love by providing safe space for local community
Not-for-profit organisation to launch centre this weekend co-funded by Belfast City Council cultural festival
AN artistic hub is being launched in Belfast this weekend by notfor-profit organisation Another World Belfast CIC.
Show Some Love Green House is a new community space in Victoria Street which will allow artistic collaboration and is partially funded by Belfast 2024, the cultural festival by Belfast City Council.
The hub aims to provide a safe and welcoming space to all, while shedding light on the underfunding of the arts in Northern Ireland.
“Everyone that comes in this door feels safe and welcome. People come in to volunteer because they feel like they’re taking part in something bigger than themselves alone, and that’s kind of the point,” says Becky Bellamy, who co-founded Another World Belfast with Connor Kerr in 2017.
“I suppose it wasn’t one moment. It was many years of listening and observing and being part of different artist communities, and community spaces ourselves,” she says of the hub’s inspiration.
“It was an iterative process over many years, made more concise by our entry to the Belfast 2024 competitive process. From many observations in other spaces and places, thinking about how we can take the best elements and put them together, but with a fully charitable purpose both in improving access to the arts and creativity and in addressing poverty and the mental health crisis.
“It’s a many-pronged approach to creating opportunities for people to come together, be creative and have a sense of activism, self-expression and empowerment, using sustainable resources.
“We wanted to make a space for creativity, that was open for anybody to come and use in some way or another, not just a small number of people, with a cohesive and active community.”
The Arts Council of NI (ACNI) highlighted in 2023, the funding for the arts since the year 2011 has reduced by almost £10m. In 2023, £9.7m was supplied to fund the industry.
In 2023, ACNI described the situation as a ‘bare minimum’, urging the latest cut be reversed with an additional £10.51m needed if it is to achieve its ambitions.
“This project is the culmination of years of determination and resilience working across both the arts and charity sectors,” says Connor on the Green House.
“Both of these areas deliver incredible value and support back to our society, yet are sadly underfunded and often underrepresented.
“We’re incredibly grateful for the financial support that we won as a competitive process with over 194 entries, from Belfast City Council’s Belfast 2024 cultural celebration. They have invested just under £100,000 for four living wage salaries for one year, the rest is up to us.”
In May, Little Amal, a 12-foot puppet embodying a 10-year-old Syrian refugee and symbolising global human rights, will be arriving in the city as part of Belfast 2024.
“It’s going to be an amazing experience,” says Becky, explaining Artsekta are the partners hosting the four-day event.
“We were commissioned to help create a community blanket for Little Amal, alongside Top Floor Arts. She’s going to be sleeping in St. Anne’s Cathedral at night-time. People can come in this weekend and make a patch for the blanket.”
Green House is an exciting new chapter for Becky and Connor as they continue to emphasise that community is at the centre of what they do.
“We will be working in quite an organic way to hear what people want, the types of events that people want to go to, the types of activities that people want to do. But we’re starting out with a really solid structure,” explains Becky.
“The thing that makes Connor and I the happiest is the people in our community and their love, generosity and craic, we can’t wait to grow that and help to make even more happier humans here.”
Show Some Love Green House’s open weekend takes place April 20-21. Follow Another World Belfast on Instagram @ showsomelovebelfast