the belfast bands forum: culture, community and belonging
Please note, this is a past event.
Join us for an evening of band performances and a screening of a short film which has captured the work and activity of The Belfast Bands Forum over the last eighteen months.
The Belfast Bands Forum brings together representatives from the marching band community across Belfast to encourage positive engagement, cultural understanding and constructive discussion around band culture and traditions. The forum works to promote good relations, support education and heritage initiatives, and provide a platform for collaboration between bands, communities and wider civic organisations.
Through events, discussions and performances, the forum aims to showcase the positive contribution bands make to local communities while also challenging negative stereotypes and misconceptions often associated with the band scene. By encouraging open conversation, education and engagement, the forum hopes to create greater understanding of the cultural, historical and community role bands play across Belfast and beyond.
The evening will consist of band performances, a screening of a short film and a panel discussion on the theme of culture and identity will follow, facilitated by actor and playwright Dan Gordon, and featuring:
- Darren Leighton – Chairman, The Belfast Bands Forum
- William Blair – Director of Collections, National Museums NI
- Sarah Bunting – Councillor, Belfast City Council
- Mervyn Gibson - Grand Secretary of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland
- Lee Reynolds - Commissioner for the Ulster Scots and the Ulster British tradition