Let's Make It Happen...

Si's Sights And Sounds looks forward to the City Of Culture 2013, offering a handful of suggestions for improvement while remaining cautiously optimistic

"We can deliver and we will."

-- Colum Eastwood MLA, former Mayor Of Derry-Londonderry, writing in 2010

It's hard to believe it's only a matter of hours until the City Of Culture officially begins.

Oaky Doakes!

The old Culture Office may have died, but the spirit of the city hasn't died with it. In many other parts of the town, there's been a rebirth. Ebrington Square is a sight to behold, as is the Peace Bridge. There's now a lovely walkway along Queen's Quay (admittedly at the cost of extra parking, but that's a small price to pay). Both Watersiders and Citysiders have a larger selection of coffee houses, both local and franchised, to attend (which will get even larger with the arrival of Caffè Nero in the New Year) and Brunswick Moviebowl is every bit as special a cinema as we hoped it would be. Shame it is so far out of town.

However...

If there's one thing that really, truly needs improving, it's the transportation system. While the Peace Bridge has made the Cityside that much more accessible for Watersiders, and vice versa, we are still living in a rather remote city with amenities that can be rather difficult to reach. There is no motorway running in to the city to cater for the largest "extravaganzas" at the new Vital Venue in Ebrington. With a brand new ASDA supermarket set for Crescent Link Retail Park, additional traffic congestion looms. In fairness, Brunswick Moviebowl can be reached by bus, but with its popularity increasing by the day, why not change the service slightly and ensure that buses can access the cinema directly for special blockbuster or gala screenings? And while Translink got it right with their bus stops near the DW Fitness Centre, that service is not coming often enough. Derry's best known gym is open until 10 pm on weekdays and not everyone has the luxury of the car. Which only reminds us that we'll be without a train line for a third of 2013.

Lisa Hannigan

Arguably, the arts and entertainment scene, as happy as I am with it, needs a little tinkering with too. What happened to the joyous musical nights in Magazine Street? I still have great memories of enjoying Ocean Colour Scene, Lisa Hannigan, The Divine Comedy and the Super Furry Animals in Derry's small (in terms of size) yet massive (in terms of heart and cultural effect) venue, The Nerve Centre. Is it inconceivable that our projected success for next year can convince similar artists to return? We should also utilise Mason's and Sandinos - through hosting artists such as Gemma Hayes, Duke Special and Two Door Cinema Club, they have proven themselves to be very effective gig venues. And imagine what the Millennium Forum could still hold, let alone the Vital Venue. I've a sneaking feeling that we could still learn more than a thing or two from our neighbours up the A6, and what's been staged at the likes of the Mandela Hall, Spring & Airbrake and the Waterfront.

When we won the City Of Culture honour, we were naturally basking in an optimism akin to Obamamania while being rather apprehensive over what was to follow. Essentially, "Just Say Yes" was our "Yes We Can" - except we haven't. Not yet.

Of course we cannot forget that the economy and troubles threaten to undermine our hopes. But, to paraphrase the only US President who has ever visited Derry, there is nothing wrong with our city that cannot be cured by what is right with our city.

This article isn't so much a criticism of what's to come as a passionate call to really, truly do things right. We've spent two and a half years preparing for this moment. Do we want it to go off with a bang, or with a whimper?

Let's make it happen...

(UPDATE, 01/01/13: And it's gotten off to the perfect start - watch a short clip of last night's celebrations below! Thanks to Rory McSwiggan for the video.)