Agenda item

            The Unionist Centenary Committee had submitted an application form requesting use of the City Hall to hold an event entitled “A Historical Re-enactment of the Centenary of the Signing of the Ulster Covenant” to be held on 29th September, 2012.  The purpose of the re-enactment was to re-create the events of the day on which the Signing of the Ulster Covenant had taken place.  It was proposed that the event would take the following format:

            The organisers had requested also the use of the Covenant Table for the re?enactment.

            The event aimed to 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.  The re-enactment would be preceded by an introductory talk which would aim to outline the events which had taken place in the City Hall, elsewhere in Ulster, the United Kingdom and across the rest of the world.  The event would seek to draw on the reaction to those events from the different perspectives which existed at that time, both for and against.  This would include editorial and political comment from that time.  The re-enactment also aimed to be an educated event and would include brief pen histories of some of the signatories which would seek to increase the understanding of the breadth and range of support for the Ulster Covenant.

            The Democratic Services Manager indicated that the organisers had confirmed that the event would be based on historic accuracy, robust academic expertise and critical analysis.  It would so that by gaining input from the Historians and Academics, such as Dr. Gordon Lucy, whose advice was deemed critical in ensuring the event was accurately portrayed and that historical context was captured.

            The organisers were seeking to ensure that the event was non-exclusive and welcoming to all sections of the community in Belfast by inviting the Lord Mayor, all Members of the Council’s Good Relations Partnership and the Leaders of the Unionist Political Parties, the Churches, the Loyal Orders, representatives of the Government and the Irish Government, representatives of a cross-section of Churches and minority ethnic communities.  The organisers also planned to produce a visual record of the event, as well as liaising with the BBC in respect of being able to broadcast a live event from within the City Hall to the Big City Screen in the grounds of the City Hall.

            The Democratic Services Manager indicated that, based on the information which had been received, the application satisfied both the criteria on use of the City Hall and the principles agreed by the Joint Group for such events.  Accordingly, he recommended that the Committee grant the use of the City Hall for the event as outlined and approve the use of the Covenant Table.

            A Member suggested that both the requests for the use of the City Hall should be referred to the Joint Group of Party Group Leaders’ Forum and Historic Centenaries Working Group, which he felt was the best vehicle to consider such applications, before being resubmitted to the Committee.

            It was pointed out that both applications had been submitted in line with the policy for the use of the City Hall and in accordance with the principles established by the Historic Centenaries Working Group which had subsequently been ratified by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee.  In addition, the Committee had, the previous month, approved two similar applications.

            A Member indicated that further discussion was required with one of the Groups, with a view to including a range of different perspectives and ideologies, rather than a single viewpoint, which in his opinion had not been addressed and therefore did not meet the principles established by the Working Group.

            After further discussion, it was

Moved by Councillor Attwood,

Seconded by Councillor McVeigh,

      That the applications for the Use of the City Hall which had been submitted by the 36th (Ulster) Division Memorial Association and the Unionist Centenary Committee be referred to the Joint Group of Party Group Leaders’ Forum and the Historic Centenaries Working Group in order to assess if the applications were entirely consistent with the principles established by the Historic Centenaries Working Group.

            On a vote by show of hands, ten Members voted for the proposal and four against and it was declared carried.