From visiting Hill Street, I decided I wanted to base my tender and proposal on the art culture or the pub culture of the street as I felt they were both the strongest contenders to create touchpoints for the streets.
There is multiple art pieces and murals in Hill Street with no to little information for them but they are such a large part of the culture of the street and of Belfast. Especially those who visit the city would want to know more and learn more about it. At the minute there is not as many as there has been in previous years due to some being removed due to controversy.
“The Dual of Belfast” is a breath-taking renaissance painting which was created by Conor Harrington and commissioned by the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival.The two protagonists duel over a dead animal carcass as the scene decays around them. It offers some stark perspective on the Troubles and political turmoil the world over.
Nomad Clan touched on Belfast’s industrial heritage in this piece, which shows a modern young woman face-to-face with a wolf, representing past tensions and an acknowledgment of past and present.
Back in 2016, a 5 storey large mural of a local married lesbian couple was been unveiled in Hill Street. Created by Joe Caslin, the aim of the mural was to push for the legislation of gay marriage in Northern Ireland and inline with Belfast Pride that year. Unfortunately due to the opening of the Thirsty Goat and the controversy of the mural, it is no longer there.
Just last year there was a mural which was changed multiple times dictating the conservative party leadership fight. Starting off as Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak in a boxing ring as they battled for the leadership, it was then updated to knowledge Liz Truss’s victory. It was updated to a mural of them all in a lifeboat before being removed completely.
The pubs of Hill Street all have slightly different feels, atmospheres and history:
The Dark Horse
The Thirsty Goat
The Dirty Onion & The Yardbird
The Black Box
Harp Bar