Agenda item

            26th October, 2011

 

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meeting of the Historic Centenaries Working Group of 26th October and adopted the recommendations in respect of the following:

 

            Request for the Use of the Ormeau Park

 

            The decision of the Working Group to recommend to the Parks and Leisure Committee that it accede to the request from the Joint Unionist Centenary Committee to permit the Ormeau Park to be used for the holding of a demonstration to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Balmoral Review and noting that any further requests of this nature should be considered within the context of an agreed Council policy on diversity which would be developed.

 

 

            During discussion, a Member pointed out that it was the view of his Party that the Parades Commission would need to deal not only with the proposed routes but also the location for the event.  He indicated that he had requested further information and detail from the Joint Unionist Centenary Committee on the routes but had not been provided with the information at present.  Therefore, at this stage, his Group was not content with the proposal to use the Ormeau Park and he that suggested a more sensible proposal had been received from the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland to use the Strangford Playing Fields, which was better located for the dispersal of participants after the event.

 

            It was pointed out that the decision of the Working Group to recommend the use of the Ormeau Park had been adopted by the Parks and Leisure Committee at its meeting on 10th November.

 

            Re-enactment of the Signing of the

            Ulster Solemn League and Covenant

 

            The decision of the Working Group to defer consideration of a request for the use of the City Hall to re-enact the signing of the Ulster Solemn League and Covenant on Saturday, 29th September, 2012 to enable representatives from the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland to attend its meeting on 14th November to apprise the Members of its plans for its demonstration on the same date.

 

            Minutes of 14th November, 2011

 

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meeting of the Historic Centenaries Working Group of Monday, 14th November and specifically the recommendations in respect of the following:

 

            Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland –

            Request to Use Strangford Avenue Playing Fields

 

            The decision of the Working Group to defer consideration of the request by the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland for the use of the Strangford Avenue Playing Fields to enable further information to be obtained regarding its plans for Saturday, 29th September, 2012 and to permit work on the development of the Council’s Diversity Policy to be completed.  In addition, the Group had agreed the following:

 

·     that the Director of Parks and Leisure investigate the feasibility of Strangford Avenue Playing Fields to host an event comprising upwards of 40,000 participants; and

 

·     that a request be made to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee that any decisions taken or recommendations made by the Working Group should not be impacted upon adversely by the establishment of a Council Diversity Policy and that work to develop the Policy be completed as soon as possible.

 

            Historic Centenaries Working Group –

            Current Position

 

            An extract of the minutes of the Working Group in relation to the current position is set out hereunder:

 

“The Working Group considered the undernoted report:

 

‘1.0     Relevant Background Information

 

      Members will be aware that there was confusion at the last meeting regarding what had been agreed.

 

      This report aims to set out and clarify what has been agreed to date by the Centenaries Working Group in relation to the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2022 and to clarify what decisions have yet to be agreed.

 

2.0Set of Principles

       

      At its meeting on 17th October 2011 the Working Group agreed that the following set of principles should be used in the selection of events to be marked.  These principles were agreed by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee at its meeting on 21st October 2011 and adopted by the Council on 1st November 2011.

 

      ‘The decade in question marks a number of particularly significant dates that have shaped the history of Northern Ireland and Ireland and therefore our own identities and cultures – see list previously circulated. 

 

      The marking of these events provides the Council with an excellent opportunity to broaden our understanding of the past and our respect for the complexity of our shared history.

 

As a shared city in the twenty-first century, we should be able to deal with difference in a positive and constructive manner, demonstrating openness on the basis of shared civic values within a democracy and a mature respect for cultural diversity within our heritage.’

 

·        ‘Events supported by the Council should provide opportunities to include a range of different perspectives and ideologies, rather than a single viewpoint, aiming to increase understanding and appreciation of other perspectives and identities

 

·        They should be based on historic accuracy, robust academic expertise and critical analysis – engagement with universities, museums, libraries, PRONI etc is essential to ensure this evidence base

 

·        The interpretation of events should be in a broad historical context and understanding of the national and European setting of the time

 

·        The Council should develop strong links with other institutions – i.e. museums, libraries, PRONI and other relevant organisations, to ensure that there is no duplication and that events and programmes are complementary

 

·        We will provide/support a range of different types of events – from lectures, discussions, debates to films, drama, activities that attract schools and children/families etc – so that events can not only be educational but participative, creative and enjoyable

 

·        We will provide/support events and activities that are not exclusive but are welcoming to all sections of our increasingly diverse community in Belfast.

 

·        The Council, committed both to the promotion of equality of opportunity and good relations in the City, will not support events or activities that could be deemed to be triumphalist, to deepen or harden existing divisions, or belittle or demonise other groups*.’

 

(*Adapted from the Irish School of Ecumenics, Moving Beyond Sectarianism research)

 

The Strategic Policy and Resources Committee agreed that these principles should apply to any key anniversaries being marked by the Council – in other words, they will be applied corporately, across the Council.

 

The Working Group will be aware that the terms ‘provide and/or support’ include the provision of direct funding, or the use of facilities, premises or public spaces owned or run by the Council, so similarly, will apply across the Council.

 

3.0Programme of events

     

      At its meeting on 17th October 2011 the Working Group agreed that the following programme of key events should be adopted.  This programme was agreed by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee at its meeting on 21st October 2011 and adopted by the Council on 1st November 2011.

 

      The programme should be divided into 3 strands in chronological order:

     

1912 – 1914; 1914 – 1918; and 1918 – 1922.

 

1.    The first period, 1912-1914, would be entitled ‘Shared History, Differing Allegiances’ and would include the following events:

 

·     the rise of the women’s suffrage movement

·     the rise of the labour movement

·     the emergence of the Gaelic revival

·     the signing of the Ulster Covenant

·     the formation of the Ulster Volunteer Force  (UVF)

·     the ITGWU strike (lockout) in Dublin

·     the formation of the Irish Citizen Army

·     the formation of the Irish Volunteers (IVF)

·     gun-running by both the UVF and IVF.

 

2.    The second period, 1914-1918, would cover the period of World War I, including the Somme and the Easter Rising.

 

3.    The third period, 1918-1922, would cover the establishment of both governments in Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State.

 

4.0Exhibitions

 

      Major exhibitions would be commissioned for the following 3 key events:

 

·        The Signing of the Ulster Covenant and the Home Rule Crisis and covering all the individual events for that period listed above.   The East Entrance area has already been booked from August – December 2012 for this purpose.

 

·        The Battle of the Somme

 

·        The Easter Rising.

 

5.0Civic hospitality

 

      The Council has agreed with the recommendation from the Working Group that it should take the lead in hosting a civic dinner to mark each of the three key historical events in the programme round which major exhibitions would be commissioned – i.e. as above:

 

·        the Signing of the Ulster Covenant and the Home Rule Crisis

·        the Battle of the Somme and

·        the Easter Rising.

 

      In each case, the Council would be responsible for the invitation list and would ensure that this was broadly based and as inclusive as possible.  Appropriate civic hospitality would be provided as appropriate for supplementary events in the programme, such as lectures, drama productions and so on.

 

      The Council has also agreed that external organisations that wish to apply for the use of the City Hall for the holding of events or provision of hospitality associated with keynote anniversaries would be encouraged to do so in accordance with the Council’s own guidelines for the use of the building and subject to approval in the normal way by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee. (The Working Group is reminded that all of this is currently under review).

 

6.0Additional events

 

      The Council has also agreed that in the period 2012-2014, in addition to the exhibition for the period and the civic dinner,  there should be additional events to mark:

 

·        the signing of the Ulster Covenant

·        the rise of the women’s suffrage movement and

·        the rise of the labour movement in Belfast.

 

a    The signing of the Ulster Covenant

     

      The Working Group agreed that in view of the important role played by both the City Hall and Ulster Hall in the Covenant signing, that lectures e.g. on the life of Edward Carson or Joe Devlin be arranged. The text of the Ulster Covenant could be compared with that of the Irish Proclamation of 1916 and the parallels between the two examined.

 

b    The rise of the women’s suffrage movement

 

      The Working Group had agreed that this theme could be linked to the wider work of the Council, and in particular to the current imbalance within City Hall of memorabilia or items relating specifically to women.  A drama production and archive photographs could be displayed, supplemented by details on women in the Council and in broader political and civic life over the period 1971-2011.

 

c   The rise of the labour movement in Belfast

 

      This theme could also be linked to the wider work of the Council within the promotion of the concept of shared history.

 

      In fact, both of the themes b) and c) have been proposed within the broader context of City Hall memorabilia and have received broad political agreement and support.  

 

      Without wishing to prejudge the results of the Equality Impact Assessment currently underway on City Hall memorabilia, it is proposed therefore that further work on both themes – of women and the labour movement - be undertaken with a more detailed report and proposals to be submitted to the Working Group early in the New Year.

 

7.0Equality and Good Relations Implications

 

      The Working Group has agreed that the Decade provides an opportunity for the Council to contribute to a better understanding of the past and to promote respect for the complexity of our shared history. 

 

      If the programme is undertaken on accordance with the principles adopted it should have positive implications in terms of the promotion of equality of opportunity and good relations.

 

8.0Financial Implications

 

      An estimated budget for the period 2012- 2014 is attached as Appendix A. 

 

      I have discussed this with the Director of Finance and Resaources and he has agreed that an appropriate budget stream of approximately £50,000 per year for the period 2012-2014 should be developed to support this work.

 

9.0Diversity strategy

 

      I understand that there has been some discussion about the possibility of the principles agreed by this Working Group being extended across the Council in the context of the development of a broader diversity strategy.   The party group leaders may attend future meetings of the Centenaries Working Group for discussion on this issue.

 

10.0    Recommendations

 

      To note the contents of this report

 

·        To agree that an officer based Working Group, consisting of Council officers and representatives from appropriate external partner agencies, be set up to prepare an appropriate specification and invite submissions for the commissioning of an exhibition on the period 1912-1914 – the Signing of the Ulster Covenant and Home Rule Crisis as agreed

 

·        To agree that a report outlining additional events to be held in the period 2012-2014 be submitted to the next meeting of the Working Group in January 2012.

 

Appendix A

 

Budget required for Centenaries Working Group –

Decade of Centenaries  2012-2014 period –

anticipated expenditure (over 2 year period):

 

                                                                                     Estimated cost                £:

 

Exhibition covering period, including:

 

the rise of the women’s suffrage movement                         25,000

the rise of the labour movement

the emergence of the Gaelic revival

the signing of the Ulster Covenant

the formation of the Ulster Volunteer Force  (UVF)

the ITGWU strike (lockout) in Dublin

the formation of the Irish Citizen Army

the formation of the Irish Volunteers (IVF)

gun-running by both the UVF and IVF

                                                                                                  

Artwork/drama/lectures to mark key events:

 

the rise of the women’s suffrage movement                         10,000

the rise of the labour movement                                            10,000

                                                                                                  

Community outreach/educational programme                       6,000

DVD, including copyright and production costs                  10,000

Publications                                                                                6,000

                                                                                                        

Hospitality

 

Civic Dinner to mark occasion of Signing of Covenant       20,000

 

Hospitality to mark other key events/launches                     12,000

                                                                                    

TOTAL                                                                                       99,000”

 

      During discussion, a Member made the point that the three significant anniversaries which the Working Group had agreed to acknowledge through the hosting of civic dinners and the mounting of prominent exhibitions viz., the Signing of the Solemn League and Covenant/Home Rule Crisis; the Battle of the Somme; and the 1916 Easter Rising might be interpreted as being somewhat imbalanced. He suggested that the Working Group might consider enhancing the list of significant anniversaries to incorporate a further event which would allay such a perception. In response, Members pointed out that the Council, at its meeting on 1st November, had endorsed the Working Group’s principles and its selection of events to be marked and that it would be inappropriate at this stage to seek to amend it.

 

      The Working Group adopted the recommendations as set out in the report.”