MIL Pubishing Engine 2

Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

June dates confirmed for 2024 Foyle Maritime Festival

11 October 2023

Derry City and Strabane District Council have announced that the Foyle Maritime Festival will return to Derry’s riverfront from Thursday 27^th until Sunday June 30^th 2024.

The confirmation came in a report to Members of Council’s Business and Culture Committee who were updated this week about the planning and programme development of the award winning biennial festival.

For the first time since 2012, the event will not feature the Clipper Around the World Yacht Race fleet, however Members were told that Council officers are confident that the event’s programming can attract over 100,000 visitors during its four days.

The Festival will feature all the other elements of previous years including entertainment, interactive activities, festival bars, markets and a festival showcase on Saturday June 29^th featuring a bespoke lighting extravaganza on and alongside the river with guest ships and boats, lighting installations, lasers and interactive crowd experiences.

A range of ships and boats are being procured to attend the festival with the pontoon that previously berthed the Clipper Yachts instead hosting a fleet of tall ships.

Head of Culture at Derry City and Strabane District Council, Aeidin McCarter, explained that the dates have been selected to maximise the benefits of the summer season for the local economy.

“The 2024 Foyle Maritime Festival will take place over four days and we are confident it can attract over 100,000 visitors from a wide geographical remit,” she said. “The dates will not clash with any other major events in the city thereby enabling the local tourism and hospitality sectors to full avail of additional footfall into the city and region.

“The theme for the festival is Beyond Blue and will inspire a range of street animation, themed workshops, screenings and events with an important environmental focus.

“A climactic festival showcase event will take place late on the Saturday night and will celebrate the festival theme with a spectacular display of activity and light on and along the river.”

Earlier this year Members of the Business and Culture Committee approved terms for Council to enter into negotiations with Clipper Ventures to return to the City effectively on a no fee basis as part of the 2024 Foyle Maritime Festival.

In August Clipper Ventures announced they had negotiated a more financially viable stopover for the race at Oban, Scotland and the race would therefore not stop in Derry City.

The Beyond Blue theme of the 2024 Festival aims to look beyond the beautiful aesthetics of our oceans and seas to explore the power and possibilities that these natural resources offer today’s society within the context of sustainability and the environment.

Members were also told that a range of revenue streams will feature at the event such as a Fun Fair, Big Wheel, Festival Bars and both the Maritime and Merchant Markets.

Council Officers will work alongside the key stakeholder the Loughs Agency to deliver a programme of events on the water with taster sessions, displays and races.

For updates and the latest information on Council’s Festival and Events programming visit https://www.derrystrabane.com/services/festival-events

Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

Enjoy some fearsome fun in Strabane this Halloween

11 October 2023

The Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Councillor Patricia Logue, today unveiled a packed programme of family friendly events taking place in Strabane this Halloween.

There are a whole host of activities and entertainment lined up for little trick or treaters and plenty to do and see out and about, from spooky storytelling to wicked workshops.

Looking ahead to the event, Mayor Logue said there was lots to look forward to in this year’s programme.

“Halloween in Strabane is always something to look forward to, with so much to do and see out and about,” she declared. “It’s a wonderful family friendly day and a great chance to try new activities together.

“I want to thank all the local businesses for their support for the Halloween programme, which is a great boost for the local economy bringing people into the town to enjoy all it has to offer. The countdown is on now, and I hope everyone is planning their costumes for the big night.”

But you don’t have to wait until October 31^st to get into the Halloween spirit. Why not start your Samhain celebrations early with the haunted Hay Bale Trail, featuring a whole host of creepy characters at locations throughout the District. Explore at your leisure and see how many you can spot!

Crafty little critters will be delighted to see the Monstrous Halloween workshops return to Strabane Library from October 28^th along with some spooky storytelling. Brave little souls aged 6 and under are invited to visit Teddy’s Haunted House on October 30^th where they can find out more about the adventures of Eddy the Teddy and Sammy Ragdoll. Older children aged 5-10 can also hear more about The Ghost of Dorothy Dingley on October 30^th at the Alley, and the Trick or Treat Trails are back running on Saturday October 28^th and Tuesday October 31^st.

Other highlights out and about in the District include the Castlederg Apple Fair on October 27^th, the Hoolie on the Hill on October 28^th and pumpkin picking galore at Fulton’s and Maxwell’s Pumpkin Patches, beginning October 14^th.

On Halloween day itself, Strabane town will be buzzing with activity as the Ghosts and Ghouls Gathering gets into full swing with plenty to keep your little monsters entertained throughout the day.

The fun begins on Castle Street and Abercorn Square from 12noon with colourful street performances and live shows. Sample some tasty treats in the food quarter, try your hand at some creepy arts and crafts and enjoy live music throughout the afternoon.

There will be some roarsome fun out and about with the Roar Roar dinosaurs so keep your eyes peeled for some prehistoric pets on the loose.

It all finishes with a flourish with the fabulous fireworks finale at 7pm, which can be viewed from the Melvin Running Track, bringing the festivities to a close.

Strabane Halloween is supported by Derry City and Strabane District Council, the Alley Theatre and the Strabane BID.

To find out more about all that’s going on this year in Strabane go to strabanehalloween.com

Source: City of York

Source: City of Portsmouth

Record-breaking attendance at Portsmouth International Port’s community open day followed a big win at the Maritime UK Solent awards, held in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

Following the success of the 2022 port open day, the local community, staff and their families were invited to enjoy an array of exhibitions from port partners, interactive stands and behind-the-scenes access to port operations. Nearly 2000 people attended, smashing last year’s total of 900 visitors.

Open from 10am – 4pm on Saturday 7 October, the open day was a chance for the public to experience the port’s innovative net carbon neutral terminal extension, made possible through £11.25m of Levelling Up funding to transform the city’s visitor economy. 35 of port’s partners came along with stands to speak to the public about their work in the maritime, construction and education sectors.

Portico, who operate the international cargo terminal cargo terminal at the port, brought a wide range of their impressive cargo handling equipment over to the port for an interactive demonstration. They were joined by a fleet of different ships of all sizes, including Wightlink’s ‘Wight Ryder I’ and Whittaker Tankers‘ ‘Whitonia’, where the public were able to get on board. Free harbour tours provided by Solent Cruises were also incredibly popular.

Mike Sellers, port director at Portsmouth International Port said:

“I’m delighted at the success of the port’s open day this year. We’ve received excellent feedback from the public who relish the opportunity to have a look ‘behind the scenes’  and the see progress we’ve made in achieving our ambitions.

“As a port owned by the people of Portsmouth, it’s a joy to be able to invite so many people in to see what we do. I’d also like to thank our staff and all our partners who made the day a big success.”

The community open day followed a win at the Maritime UK Solent awards on Thursday, which celebrate the region’s outstanding maritime sector and the people who drive it to be a world-leading regional industry. The port won the ‘Net Zero Navigator’ award, which was established to recognise maritime businesses who are wholly committed to moving their Solent-based operations towards zero emissions.

Portsmouth City Council‘s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Greening the City, Cllr Kimberly Barrett said:

“It’s fantastic that the port’s blueprint to reach carbon net-neutral by 2030, and become zero-emission by 2050 has been recognised by the maritime industry.  They’ve turned the port into a living laboratory of green technology, with sustainable innovations such as smart batteries and huge solar installations installed across the port.

“This will be complemented by the ground-breaking Sea Change shore power system in early 2025 which will allow ships to turn off their engines. As a municipal port owned by Portsmouth City Council, I’m proud they are playing their part in our wider efforts to reduce our impact on the environment.”

Source: City of York

Council tenants are being reminded to report repairs to the council rather than make legal claims against it, after a York County Court judge ordered an unsuccessful claimant to pay over £10,000 costs

Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

Mayor lights Derry and Strabane’s public buildings for Baby Loss Awareness Week

10 October 2023

The Guildhall clock, the Tinnies and Council buildings in Derry and Strabane are joining buildings across the world in being lit pink and blue to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week.

Running from October 9th to 15^th, the initiative seeks to support bereaved parents and families and unite them with others across the world to commemorate their babies’ lives.

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Patricia Logue, facilitated the lighting and expressed her hope that the gesture would help raise local awareness of the issue.

“I am proud to be able to facilitate the lighting up of our civic buildings to show support to the thousands of families affected in our Council area,” she said.

“It is an opportunity to highlight that they are not alone and there are support services in place to guide them through this heart breaking time.”

Baby Loss Awareness Week is recognised across the world and culminates with the ‘Wave of Light’ on 15 October.

This is a special time when people across the world light a candle at 7pm local time and leave it burning to remember all babies that have died too soon.

Visit www.babyloss-awareness.org to find out how you can get involved.

Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

Rural village and town centres to benefit from regeneration scheme

10 October 2023

Work has recently commenced on a key rural village regeneration programme designed to improve the visual appearance of targeted village and town centres within the Derry City and Strabane District Council District Area. 

The scheme will focus on eight village and town centre settlements comprising mainly of the painting of the facades of commercial properties located within the defined target areas. 

The scheme is supported by the COVID Recovery Small Settlements Programme, a collaboration between the Department for Communities (DfC), Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), and the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) working closely with local Councils to identify priority projects for delivery on the ground. 

The programme aims to support a range of regeneration and active travel interventions targeting small settlements with a population of less than 5,000 people that will attract investors and visitors, and create vital and viable towns that meet the needs of local citizens and the surrounding areas.  Out of the c. £2m funding secured by Council from the Programme, £1m has been allocated towards the commercial façade painting scheme and associated environmental improvements within the eight settlements, with the remaining budget committed to green infrastructure/active travel projects in Claudy, Newtownstewart and Park.

The commercial façade painting scheme is the culmination of work carried out by Council over the past year in the identification of properties, technical surveys, engagement with business and property owners and the appointment of contractors to undertake the works. 

Welcoming the commencement of the first phase of works in Castlederg and Claudy, Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Councillor Patrica Logue, said she was delighted to see work begin on this important regeneration project to improve the visual appearance and character of the identified village and town centres within our District. “The Covid Recovery Small Settlements Programme represents an important initiative in targeting investment into our rural settlements to assist local businesses who play a key role in the economic vitality and viability of the rural area. It is hoped that not only will the targeted properties and village/town centres benefit from the physical enhancements, but also through increase in footfall and activity.

“This project represents a key collaborative rural regeneration initiative between Council and the respective Central Government Departments, and I would like to acknowledge the collective input all involved,” she added.  

Supported by DAERA, DfC and DfI, a spokesperson for the three departments said: “It’s great to see the commencement of this Revitalisation programme which will breathe new life into towns and villages across the Council area.  These schemes will boost the local economy, help tackle rural poverty and improve access to services in small settlements.” 

The painting works will be delivered over two separate contracts for Derg District Electoral Area (Castlederg, Newtownstewart & Sion Mills) and the Sperrin/Faughan District Electoral Area (Ballymagorry, Claudy, Donemana, Eglinton & Plumbridge).  The works programme is estimated to be delivered over the next 6-months with the first phase of works for each DEA having already commenced in Castlederg and Claudy.  Following the completion of the current phase, the contractors will move onto the remaining settlements within each of the DEAs.

Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

Derry writer Mel Bradley has debuted her one woman show For The Love of Mary at the Alley Theatre.

9 October 2023

The play is a bilingual autobiographic mapping of her journey to find the Virgin Mary, a figure glorified as the epitome of female identity.

For the Love of Mary examines her lost humanity, rediscovered through stories shared by women living in Ireland, gathered around the kitchen table, often over a pot of tea.

It has been produced with assistance from Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Individual Artist Fund and the University of Atypical and was premiered at the Strabane venue as part of a wider tour.

The performance explores the atrocities committed against women, the institutionalisation of women, the Repeal and Decriminalise movements alongside acts of devotional faith and love. All layered against a backdrop of religious ideology and national identity.

Viewed through the lens of a woman from a Protestant/Unionist background, displaced by the troubles into a Nationalist area two years before the Good Friday Agreement was signed it questions the cultural influence of her prescribed ideals of courage, endurance, hope, faith and confidante in parallel to the experiences of pregnancy, consent, agency, crisis and sexuality by Irish women.

The event is part of Bounce Festival 2023 organised by University of Atypical for Arts and Disability.