Children's Express journalists review what's on offer at the 2001 Belfast Festival at Queens.
| A gentle, appreciative hum rose from the crowd gathered at the bottom of the Falls Road. |
Divis flats seemed to deserve being dressed up. It was refreshing to see tower block flats as an artistic exhibit (November 10).
"Those pictures on the blinds are of the people who live in there aren't they? What a brilliant idea," said Amy Magowan Greene, 13.
A middle-aged lady with short blonde hair standing close-by bristled with pride. Her portrait was drawn on the window blinds of her flat for all the world to see.
"Why did they do that? Oh look the B in Blinds has fallen down? Can I have another cocktail sausage?" asked Chloe Colclough, 7.
Local Artist Rita Duffy had brought art into the community big time through Drawing the Blinds, the very young seemed to view it as a relatively natural occurrence rather than a considerable feat.
"Look, look they put the B back up," the eagle-eyed Chloe noted.
Politicians, local hero's and heroines, arts world notables, residents and onlookers gazed up at the tower block as the lights illuminated a patchwork of pictures and words transforming Divis flats into a public art exhibition.
A gentle, appreciative hum rose from the crowd gathered at the bottom of the Falls Road. Cars crawled by to catch a glimpse.
"Community art ya-dee-yah-dee-ya," some artsworld person was overheard saying.
Indeed Drawing the Blinds was a fantastic testimony to community art but the joy of seeing Divis Flats light up was on the ground; residents felt honoured to be part of the project and seemed to feel as if some-one had cared enough to make this statement- even if it was only temporary.
"It is great, but I am getting cold can we go now," said Amy.
About the team
This article was produced by Amy Magowan Greene, 13 and Chloe Colclough, 7. It was published on the Belfast Festival website.
