Friday, June 30, 2006
Geese, ganders and Orange fest
Belfast City Council The Department of Social Development has just announced a major funding inititiave for Orange Fest.
Miss Fitz noted just last week that Féile was facing a funding cut of £100,000, so I am sure that some awkward questions will be asked about the parity of funding. I am well aware that there are 2 funding bodies involved here, but perhaps there is room to question what appears to be a fairly generous contribution to an event that has little chance of becoming a shared identity occasion.
On the other hand, I support any initiative that promotes Belfast and makes an attempt at cleaning up the act on and around the 12th of July. I remain convinced that we have a long way to go before this becomes an inclusive event, or indeed whether that is even a possibility.
Miss Fitz @ 08:12 AM
Excellent. Where do I apply? Will it be a one-way ticket or can I come back when it is all over?
Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 08:30 AMI see major tv coverage here, fun for all the families, the over-sized comedy costumes, Stuart Hall hysterically laughing....’Jeux avec de frontiere’.
Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 08:56 AMMiss Fitz,
”an event that has little chance of becoming a shared identity occasion”
”I support any initiative that promotes Belfast and makes an attempt at cleaning up the act on and around the 12th of July.”
I’m confused, what other initiatives have been put forward ”that promotes Belfast and makes an attempt at cleaning up the act on and around the 12th of July
Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 09:02 AMThe cities of Paris, Rome, Rio, Praque, Havana and Venice will be deserted as the cultural tourists flee for the infinite variety of arts, science and culture that will await them in sunny Belfast by the sea.
Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 09:05 AMWell its taken them forever but the Orange Order seem to understand how to play the system now.
Just like any funding for a group or event that clearly represents one side of the divide, it will forever be associated with one side no matter how much cash ya throw at it.
On the plus side, 100 grand should pay for a few roadsweepers.
Miss Fitz, yer post refers to yourself in 3rd person terms, thats a bad sign....of detachment from reality. Say ‘me’ instead..its much less psychopathic sounding.
Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 09:15 AMWould there not be a case for taking the funding control for these ‘cultural’ events out of the hands of the council...and put it in the hands of, say, a non-biased ‘arts’ committee made up of a large cross-section of the community? Funding for different events should not depend on who ‘controls’ the council, but should be decided on merit, history and size of the event...and spread equally to where it is needed…
Or would that be too sensible.Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 09:17 AMMiss Fitz
According to the report it seems the funding is coming from the NIO.. not Belfast City Council.
They should, of course, fund their own development officer.
Worth noting though, if the comparison to Féile is to be made, that “The money, to be paid over three years, will fund a development officer who will promote the day as a festival.” - which works out at around £34,000 a year, this year Féile is receiving funding of £45,000.
Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 09:18 AMYokel
That would imply that Miss Fitz is NOT psychopathic, and she tries to be truthful at all times.........Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 09:28 AMCouldn’t agree with Yokel more - there’s always something slightly deranged about someone who refers to themselves in the third person.
As for the event, its unlikely that the participation will become much more cross-community. However, what is wrong with people from other cultures coming to watch the parades?
Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 09:29 AMMissfitz
A correction is needed the funding package is from DSD not Belfast City Council.
http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/hanson_supports_belfast_orange_parade_initiativeThe West Belfast Festival is receiving £45,000 in funding for its summer programme from DCAL. This funding is a 3 year package so it works our at approx £34k p.a. So there is no great inequality between the two.
Also recent hotel occupancy figures show the growth in tourism in the summer months so it seems sensible to build on this progress
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/business/story.jsp?story=696671Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 09:30 AM“this year Féile is receiving funding of £45,000.” plus the profits of last year total fund available £150,000,put your begging bowl away and get on with it, 12th July Orange parade is free,free,free no admission,no ticket touts,no corporate junkets, Féile should take a leaf from the oo book,
Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 09:32 AMcheers, fd, got the wrong impression from the broadcast this morning. my fault there.
Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 09:37 AM“cheers, fd”??
*harrumph* ;)
Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 09:37 AMYes Pete, but you like me, and I am trying to ingratiate myself with FD. I think of you guys in terms of the 7 Dwarfs, and he is definitely Grumpy.
You of course are Doc.
Gonzo is Sleepy.
Chris is Happy.
Mick is Bashful.
Not saying who is Dopey or Sneezy.
And I remain Snow White.
Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 09:43 AMPete
“harumph”
I am afraid you said it was the NIO when it was DSD. Also I went the extra mile and provided the relevant weblink. :P
Missfitz
“I am trying to ingratiate myself with FD”
I am afraid it didn’t work. As a Ulsterman I hold deep suspicions about anyone who says nice things. Now if you had called me a bastard I’d carry a grudge about it for the rest of my life but recognise your honesty. ;)
Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 09:54 AMMiss Fitz,
I didn’t really need to ask you “what other initiatives have been put forward” a suggestion I made yesterday @ http://shittyfirstdraft.blogspot.com/2006/06/out-with-old-in-with-nude.html would entertain even the Sluggershites on here;-)
Cybez :-)Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 09:56 AMFair Deal,
Surely you mean “an Ulsterman”???????
Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 10:05 AMBuzz off!
Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 10:08 AMWhen Miss Fitz referred to “Miss Fitz” above she was clearly referring to the title of her blog not to herself. Further on she refers to herself as “I” when speaking in the first person.
To draw inferences of paranoia from such perfectly correct usage might point to an element of paranoia in he who draws the inference. A case of “Beware to point your finger for when you do four fingers point back at yourself”.
Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 10:14 AMhmm difficult one, one th eone hand, money is being dished out to an organistation that 1 half the community finds deeply offencive, however, if nothing is done, then nothing will change and the divisions will increase. The OO is a part of ulster’s heritage, end of story. It does need drastic reform, and perhaps with the right kind of influence this may be able to happen. What we may need to do is try to encourage more cross community sharing of eachothers cultures - so far example maybe have a music festival were we have Irish dancers and musicians alongside lambeg drums and pipe bands, then maybe 1 day in the land of pie in the sky we may have a parade with both the OO and the AOH!
Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 10:18 AMStep 1
Ditch the large number of paramilitary bands who take part in parades & stop commemorating the ‘Shankill Butchers’ murder gang.
Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 11:57 AMCoucil says no to St. Paddy’s day parade, because it’s not “cross-community”.
Feile funding slashed for the same reason.
OO parades get funding to make them more cross community?
Ridiculous, OO parades can never be cross community. And the talk of bringing tourists in for the festivities and their cash into the economy is crap, Feile events were always full of tourists, from Americans and Canadians, to the slightly more politicised Basques and Palestinians. I would hazard a guess that St. Patrick’s day would be the same if we had a proper celebration, but we can’t do that. If you want to celebrate being Irish on St. Patrick’s day, you’d be better off in London or New York or Edinburgh. Anywhere but bitter Belfast.Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 01:35 PMDon
“Ditch the large number of paramilitary bands who take part in parades & stop commemorating the ‘Shankill Butchers’ murder gang. “
- like it or not these are members of one section of our community, while you might not agree with them, they have every right to celebrate their soldiers, think of it the same way every year Sinn Fein remembers the Endentubber provos who killed themselves with their own bomb for example. Now if Sinn Fein were denied money (such as the 1/2 mil they get every year from the house of commons)for commerating their murder gangs, do you not think there would be cries of discrimination. open your mind and you shall see.
Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 02:14 PMthink of it the same way every year Sinn Fein remembers the Endentubber provos who killed themselves with their own bomb for example.
Yes exactly the same. Apart from the fact that the whole province has to shut down, that it costs millions, the bonfires scar the landscape for almost the whole year, and regularly it costs millions more for additional security, when Loyalists don’t get their own way (a la Drumcree/Whiterock). No, sorry scratch that, it’s nothing like it. At all. Really.
Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 02:32 PMEvery 12th of July 40,000 approx Orangemen parade, with a similar number of bandsmen. They are watched by at least 100,000 people in approximately 20 venues, and have the largest viewing figures for a locally produced TV programme every year. Even if not one single tourist ever came , that’s approximately one thenth of the entire population of NI participating in an event-and nothing else in NI is ever going to get figure near that.
Some people say it’s culture- some say it isn’t. But there’s certainly a cultural aspect to it, and if that can be increased who’s the loser?
And before we forget, 100k over three years is about the same as the bill for toilet paper in the assembly-small potatoes
Posted by on Jun 30, 2006 @ 02:33 PM
