58 | THE LOCAL TOURIST THE LOCAL TOURIST


Feel Good Festival to Awaken Your Senses This Spring


THE historic Portico of Ards in Portaferry is set to come alive with vibrant music, arts and cultural events as the much-anticipated Feel Good Festival, 1 – 31 March, prepares to awaken your senses and welcome in Spring with five weekends of sumptuous sounds. Celebrating energy and renewal,


the festival offers


an exciting range of performances and activities designed


to uplift, inspire


and bring people together. The festival gathers a diverse mix of artists, performers and visitors, fostering an inclusive environment that celebrates community,


creativity and


the joy of coming together. From choral, classical, folk, electronic, organ, rock and pop music as well as comedy, the Feel against


Good


of Portico’s architecture,


the backdrop stunning


will immerse


attendees in a celebration of the senses. The Feel Good Festival


is


supported by Ards and North Down Borough Council and the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Feel Good Festival Director, Dr Verity Peet commented: “Join us this March as we celebrate the spirit of renewal, creativity,


and Let Portico connection. awaken your


senses for a joyful experience as we welcome the return of Spring, and prepare for a time of renewal and growth. This year’s Feel Good Festival is all about engaging the senses and creating a


positive and inclusive


Whatever your tastes, we think we’ve got something for everyone.”


www.nitravelnews.com


January 2025


Belfast Stories Revealed: £100M Project Expected to Open by 2030


CONCEPT designs for a transformational £100 million project in Belfast city centre have been released for the first time. Belfast Stories, which will be a public space, visitor attraction and creative hub, is expected to open by 2030 at the Art Deco former Bank of Ireland building and a surrounding 5,000-square metre site in the city’s Royal Avenue.


The multi-purpose Festival, city centre


destination will aim to attract more than 700,000 visitors per year, with up to 1,200 jobs supported during the construction and launch phases. Belfast Stories is a flagship project of the £1 billion Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD) programme of investment, designed to contribute to the BRCD vision of driving inclusive economic growth, making a positive impact on some of the region’s most


deprived communities, and


contributing to a balanced spread of benefits across the city, region, and Northern Ireland. Belfast Stories is all about sharing


stories from people who have lived in and visited Belfast


present. People will take their own journey through stories


audio-visual,


- past and that


are told in many different ways - interactive,


atmosphere. musical,


printed and in ways that are yet to be imagined. The creative hub will feature a story gathering initiative designed to deliver an ever-developing programme of activities both inside and outside the building - where stories gathered and made are shaped, stored and shared. Eimear Henry, Creative and


Strategic Lead at Belfast Stories advised


"This story gathering


element is a work in progress that is being influenced and shaped by our ongoing engagement with the people of Belfast. The gathering


of these stories, or


the ‘story engine’ as we call it, is the project’s cornerstone, and our work here has already started.


The concept is driven


by the belief that by telling these authentic stories of the people of Belfast we will tell the story of the city – in the richest possible detail.


These stories will show


the world how much we value our city and our people." The design team supporting Stories


Belfast includes a


partnership between Oslo- based architects Snøhetta,


the


firm responsible for designing the Oslo Opera House and the 9/11 Memorial Pavilion in New York, and Belfast-based TODD


Belfast Restaurant Week Leaves a Good Taste with Belfast Venues


BELFAST Restaurant Week, held in October, has revealed significant benefits for the local hospitality industry, according to a recent independent survey by CARD Group Research & Insight. The survey, conducted among participating venue managers and owners, found that nearly 80 percent of the venues experienced increased foot traffic, while approximately 62 percent reported a rise in revenues during the week-long event. Notably, for those venues that saw revenue growth, the average increase reached an impressive 24 percent.


Guillaume Rabillat, owner of 44 Hill


St, expressed enthusiasm for the event, stating, “Belfast Restaurant Week is an event that our industry eagerly anticipates each year. It offers a unique opportunity to welcome both new and returning customers while showcasing our quality offerings.” Rabillat emphasized the importance of fostering community and customer loyalty through unique experiences rather than just promotional offers.


Architects, who are leading on the architectural and structural design.


Daniel Berlin, Senior Architect at Snøhetta stated, "Our aim is for Belfast Stories to become a familiar and loved feature of Belfast’s cityscape, creating an orientation point for everyone in the city. The project will regenerate this


part of Belfast city centre, and we believe it has the potential to change how both residents and visitors


interact transformational with and


navigate the city. It is a genuine privilege to be a


working on such a project


and


collectively we all have the opportunity to create a calling card for the city internationally." John Blanchard,


Principal & Director


Associates, London said: "Belfast


potential to revitalise


of Ralph Appelbaum Stories has


the


centre and enhance the local economy


through tourism


the city led


regeneration and support for the creative economy. It will also be a public space for the people of Belfast, who are central to its delivery. Our role as interpretive designers


is to listen to and share the stories of the people


of Belfast in a way that tells the unique story of this place.


The


lifeblood of this project are the stories of the people of this city – and by interpreting these, we will be sharing the story of Belfast both locally and with visitors from around the world. It’s a fantastic, complex and invigorating


project that is


unique in so many ways – much like the city of Belfast." The project is


currently


progressing through RIBA Stage 2 - Concept design, a crucial milestone in the definitive eight- stage ‘Plan of Work’ model pioneered by the Royal Institute of British Architects. Engagement is a significant part of this stage and, following an initial Public Consultation in


2022, Belfast


City Council’s Belfast Stories team is now hosting a second Public


Consultation to ensure


everyone can have their say on the transformational project. The Belfast Stories Public Consultation will


run for 14


weeks until February 23, 2025. Attendees will be able to find out more about the ambitions for Belfast Stories and how it aspires to bring people together, boost tourism, enhance the city’s international reputation.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72