The long awaited restoration of Derry-Londonderry's premier building is complete – and with it will come a newly engaging and interactive historical experience
One feels like a new beginning is on the cards the very moment he or she steps inside the Guildhall in Derry-Londonderry.
There is a real buzz everywhere in this old-new building, the centrepiece of the Maiden City. Project team members, contractors and city representatives have gathered to preview the restoration of the iconic structure ahead of its official re-opening to the public in less than two weeks' time.
A classical version of Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" is among a series of tunes heard from a quartet of violinists prior to a succession of speeches from numerous dignitaries. It's a suitably soothing and uplifting atmosphere for the end of one project, this three year, £9.5 million development, and the beginning of another.
For many a surprise awaits us when we step outside the main hall. To our left lies the new council chamber, which features a slightly-frosted glass window view overlooking The Peace Bridge. It’s a sight to behold. I am also informed that the old council chamber downstairs has been transformed into a small exhibition room, with the former mayor’s parlour almost resembling a designated tourist information point. ("Almost", in that its interactive 3-D map of the city is not yet in situ, but when installed, it will be a welcome orientation tool for visitors and tourists.)
What has happened to Derry-Londonderry's most famous building? What, indeed?
Five years ago, Derry City Council had decided that the Guildhall needed "recapturing". In their words, it needed a "bit of TLC". The chance to re-orientate the building as a function to serve both the people and the tourists was too good an opportunity to miss.
"What we’ve really tried to do", says Derry City Council's Heritage & Museum Service's Education Officer, Margaret Edwards, "is put the Guildhall back at the heart of the city."
The idea is that the Guildhall will now take its place as a key historic and civic building that will have something to offer for everyone, tourists or residents. For a long time, the Guildhall had been seen simply as a function room, a place for registering a birth, booking a marriage or holding a council meeting. But perhaps now, the building can return to what it used to be, especially in cultural terms.
"Back in the 1980s, the Field Day company were established here, and the Londonderry Amateur Operatic Society (now Londonderry Musical Society) used to perform here too – and I think that's important to remember, because the place's cultural identity has been sort of lost along the way", Edwards explains. "The building still has a civic function as both an event hub and an exhibition centre, and we're aiming to recapture that."
The new exhibition space downstairs (above), which aims to put the building's heritage to good use, is ample evidence of this, as is the new entrance and the not-yet-finished cafe area facing the Riverfront. It is hoped that such amenities and innovations will help overcome the "not really for me", "closed" and "inaccessible" impressions people have of the building, and will open more eyes to both the beauty of the structure and its standing as a musical events venue.
With that in mind, I journey to the downstairs exhibition area and am greeted by an innovative interactive debate. Three different character actors, playing an Irish woman, a planter woman and a London merchant, are speaking to me from a video screen.
It turns out they are all giving us a human perspective of the Irish Plantation Process, and then inviting the viewer to choose which particular view is the most relatable. In true Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Fashion, every viewer gets a set amount of time to cast their vote – ten seconds – and the results of the day are recorded in an ongoing tally of votes. "It's a bit of a census, but a good natured one", says Edwards. "We see it as a way of measuring the opinion of the city and raising awareness of what the Plantation was about."
This is one of several ways of Plantation education in the entire room. One can also use building blocks to learn more about the land allocated to the colonists during the period, or put together a magnetic jigsaw of 16th century Ulster. It's local history for all ages, from a contemporary perspective; re-living a journey back in time with modern day tools. There’s much promise in this educational, communal and interactive exhibition.
"There is indeed", smiles Edwards. "We put much thought into making it interactive and educational because the Ulster Plantation is quite a dry subject. It goes on for a long period of time, and it's not like a big battle, or a siege. We wanted to find ways of enlivening and animating it."
She concludes: "I think everyone will find something they can really relate to."
And one certainly hopes that everyone will concur about the entire Guildhall once it re-opens its doors to the public on June 10.
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