Workshops celebrate literature in Northern Ireland

21 October 2009 -

A number of workshops are being held in Belfast to celebrate the history of literature in Northern Ireland.

Events are taking place across the city over the next few weeks designed to encourage poetic flair and educate people about the city's tradition in the arts.

The workshops are being held to encourage creative ideas for a new artwork called Rise, which will be the largest in Belfast and will be located at Broadway Roundabout.

Conor Shields, director of New Belfast Community Arts Initiative, said that enthusiasm has been high in the workshops which have been held so far, helping to give artist Wolfgang Buttress an idea of how the painting will appear.

"This has been a wonderful opportunity for local people to express their thoughts and feelings about their city creatively and to capture those ideas with the help of local writers," he said.

Meanwhile, the Opportunity Europe event will be returning to St. George's Market today, which will give visitors the chance to experience different cultures from the continent, including arts projects and language lessons.