Open Botanic Festival 2024 - 'Have Your Say' (Vox pops) - 15th September 2024

Thanks to Will McConnell (Will Films) for the film and interviews!
Open Botanic created an inclusive, car-free space, bringing all the communities of the area together on this busy thoroughfare on the 15th September.
This grassroots community-led festival united the many communities, individuals, businesses, charities and organisations that make Botanic Avenue one of the most dynamic parts of the city.
This year’s themes, Playful Streets and Creating Space, showcased the incredible work going on behind the scenes to improve places to play, to move, to breathe and to grow, in this area.
Open Botanic is an inclusive festival and by closing the road to cars, it opened it up to people to spend time together, to enhance the sense of community ownership and to foster connections in a relaxed, joyful setting.
All activities were free and will include street performers such as acrobats, live music, street games, crafts, children’s activities, drop-in workshops, food from different cultures, street dance, urban gardening skills and wellbeing and mindfulness sessions.
The festival, organised by Forward South Partnership, was run in collaboration with Queen’s University Belfast Architecture and Planning.
The Open Botanic Event was supported by the Department for Communities and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive’s ‘Housing for All’ Shared Housing Programme. The Programme has its origins in the NI Executive Together: Building a United Community Strategy which reflects the Executive’s commitment to improving community relations and continuing the journey towards a more united and shared society. Over £15 million has been invested in three shared housing developments and associated five-year Good Relations Plans in Belfast.
It has also been funded by Belfast City Council Festivals’ Fund, UKRI - Arts and Humanities Research Council, Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility at Queen’s, Ormeau Business Park and Lawrence St Workshops.
#OpenBotanic24

[@ColinShaws]

A great event! Cannot wait for 2025's Open Botanic Week (?)