We've Made It Happen: Our City Of Culture 2013

A message from the editor on the final night of a momentous year for Derry-Londonderry

My fellow City-Of-Culturistas...

This is the 92nd time I'm going to be posting to you from this website in 2013, and the last. The end of this Legenderry year, as we've liked to call it, is almost upon us. It has been a pleasure, a privilege, and a downright honour to be one of your "correspondents" in writing and photography in this city, this year. Many of you have spoken to me and said, "well done", but I could say as much to you, if not more. But before the year ends, I'd like to share some thoughts with all of you in relation to this lovely city we live in.

I can still recall when, as a slightly younger man who didn't quite know where his career was going, I first heard when Derry-Londonderry was up for this inaugural cultural honour. It was there when I realised, like no doubt many of you did at the time, that I could make a difference, and passions for both writing and photography that I once thought were on the verge of dying were reawakened.

We won the honour. We had our moment. And now, two and a half years later, the city's cultural landscape shines strong and tall in a Silver City Risen from darkness to light. A new vision and a new legacy, created by the fittingly titled Sons And Daughters of Derry-Londonderry, so many of whom swept us up in a tidal wave of musical glory near the start of this remarkable year.

That, of course, was only the beginning of a series of standout events that defined Derry-Londonderry, so good they named it twice, as a thriving arts and cultural landscape. But it was, and is, more than that, of course.

When watching Finding Nemo for what seemed like the umpteenth time recently, seven words in the screenplay truly resonated with me: "When I see you, I see home." Seven words that are worth a thousand in the context of Derry-Londonderry, for it might not have been, and still might not be, the best place in the world to everyone, but it is our place. We created it. We are in tune with absolutely everything about it: people, landscapes, landmarks and opportunities.

And to my pleasant surprise, that was exactly how Derry-Londonderry felt to just about every tourist and traveller I’ve met on my travels around the city throughout 2013. We are a City Of Culture, but we are also a City Of Community and Great Company.

During these last twelve months, I've made it my aim, in some way or another, to both develop as a cultural writer and bring you the best from the City Of Culture 2013. Last year, Si's Sights And Sounds was born, and continues to thrive today. But it never belonged to me. It belonged to you, the people who provided me with the material to write about. I spread the word, but you made the words. I was just the messenger, someone who was lucky enough to be in the right places at the right times. The real heroes of Derry-Londonderry 2013 are the people as a whole, the technicians, artists, actors, directors, writers, photographers, musicians, spectators and so on who made it happen, men and women who relayed a continuous cavalcade of sights and sounds to a global audience. Without the people, the cultural "delights" we praised would not have had the heart and soul that they undeniably did.

No doubt, you will ask me if I have regrets, and I do. The economy is one of them. As much as Derry-Londonderry has flourished on the surface, there is the clear and present fear that the city is, in reality, dancing on a volcano, and that the lack of job opportunities may force many of our great talents, be they newly found or established, to look elsewhere. Tonight is no night for dwelling on that, but another significant matter ought to be addressed: what will we do now our year in the spotlight is over?

With that in mind, I refer to what was done with the famous Crystal Palace after the Great Exhibition of 1851: remove the building blocks of a short-term success and relay it for the long term. Even with both Ebrington's Venue and the Turner Prize Exhibition on their way down and out, respectively, there remains the chance to cement the whole of Derry-Londonderry as a cultural city by the people, for the people. Because that is what it should be, if it isn't already. Our newly found momentum must be carried well into the future, for there remains the danger of living in the moment and not considering the long-term consequences. Even if a feeling of "could do better" exists in the Derry-Londonderry air, what also exists is a genuinely warm, winning and welcoming spirit that will surely endure.

It has also been asked that, as big as a certain Big Weekend was, was there really a need for it? And the answer, in my view, is a resounding Yes. Not everyone was fortunate enough to live the experience at the Prehen Playing Fields nearly a decade ago, and this truly was Big. Even the music, to me, was almost irrelevant; what we saw during those nights were unprecedented levels of confidence, light and unity spreading around the city. All may not really be hunky dory in this current climate, but for the audience on those days, all was. They wanted big moments, and we delivered. Sons and Daughters. The spectacular Political Mother. CHIC, so good he came twice. The Fabulous Fleadh. Music City, especially the Sky Orchestra. The inaugural Walled City Tattoo. The Return Of Colmcille. Lumiere. And many more. Events that told the tale of a city both in touch with what made it what it is, and the wider artistic world.

Even something as simple as a tweet or a Facebook status update could reach out and touch thousands, millions even. My own City Of Culture status updates were inspired by legendary American actor Stan Freberg, but who, or what, inspired you? You may have found such things as the cobblestones on London Street, and the views from the walls, as inspirational as anything you could read. That's a cultural strength for you; inspirations, assets, success, from the least likely of places. And there have been many of those.

It's been a year of contrasts, a year of history. And one night, as I looked across the River Foyle at the illuminated STITCH IN TIME sign, an endeavour of industrial light and magic that stands proud and tall over everything around it, I found it hard not to contrast the numerous aspects of the city. The big and the small, the past and the future, the understated and the grand.  It is not merely, as Ronald Reagan put it, a "shining city upon a hill", but a city at sixes and sevens, as skilfully illustrated on one memorable summer night at The Guildhall.

A Stitch In Time may symbolise several of the things in this city, be they factories, craft or camaraderie. But we must not allow this year to remain a mere stitch in time, a footnote to be cast away into the forgotten annals of history. Better, instead, to think of what At Sixes And Sevens, and indeed every single cultural endeavour in 2013 illustrated: we have made history, and we have history, still, to make.

There isn't one aspect of this city that I take for granted today, from the wide open space in Ebrington Square, to the numerous art galleries, to the walls, to venues both indoor and open air, to the spectacular foot and cycle bridge that has symbolised our city for more than two years. We've made it happen. We, the sons and daughters of Derry-Londonderry, have made the city what it is.

And here's to carrying our spirit and soulfulness through to 2014 and beyond.

Happy New Year to all of you. Read more...

The Wile Big Derry Phrasebook - City Of Culture Edition

A guide to Derry-Londonderry lingo gets revised and updated to coincide with the 2013 celebrations. Read and hear all about it

The Wile Big Derry Phrasebook is a rib-tickling cross-section of the many colourful words, sayings and expressions to be heard in the Derry area, all captured lovingly by social historian, musician, songwriter and proud Derryman Seamus McConnell, who sadly passed away in 2010.

A new revised and updated edition is to be launched this week as "the definitive compilation of the wit and wisdom of generations of Derry wans" in the City Of Culture, presented in a lavishly illustrated book for all to share and enjoy.


In the original foreword to the last edition, Seamus McConnell wrote:

"About 1981, because of my general interest in the history of Derry and its people, I got the idea to jot down some of the very humorous sayings unique to our city.

"As time went on, I began to take seriously the idea of compiling some sort of 'dictionary' of Derry words and phrases, with the vague hope of having it published some day. So around 1984, I got down to some serious research: eavesdropping on people's conversations, skulking around crowded places like supermarkets and football matches, notebook at the ready, picking up phrases here and there (wakes turned out to be a rich source of material). Talk of the Town, first published in 1989, was the end result of all that nosing around.

"For a while I believed that I had published the cream of local expressions, but I kept hearing more and more. One day I was sitting in a local café and I couldn't help but overhear two ladies 'discussing' a neighbour's little boy and because it sounded so funny I decided there and then that a second book was a must. So The Folly Up was published in November 1990.

"That had to be it, I thought at the time. But there was still so much out there, I couldn't help writing it all down. Collecting local patois had become almost an obsession. Every time I left the house, I found myself seeking out more. I wanted to produce a definitive 'Derry Dictionary' – The Wile Big Derry Phrasebook – the complete collection of Derry’s very own words, phrases and linguistic peculiarities. Except, of course, for those held back for the special millennium edition in 2000."

Here's additional input from McConnell's brother, Hugo, and daughter, Rachael:

"...Or that's what we believe Seamus would be saying if he was still with us. He never did lose that obsession of eariwiggin' on people's conversations. And if he'd been around to welcome the inaugural City of Culture 2013, along with the rest of us Derry wans, he would have considered it his civic duty to ensure that all visitors to our great city would have an updated, ultimate (plus one), definitive (perhaps) Wile Big Derry Phrasebook. 'Cos that's just the sorta person Seamus wuz.
           
"A naturally modest and quiet man (well, in comparison to the rest of the McConnells anyway), few are aware of the wealth of talent possessed by Mr Seamus McConnell. Not only was Seamus a prolific writer (much of his work never seen by the public eye), he was first and foremost a very gifted musician and featured heavily on the music scene in Ireland and beyond, from Showbands to Blues, from Skiffle to Jazz, from the 1950s through to the 1980s.

"Slowing down in his, dare we say it, more mature years, concentrating more on recording, arranging and producing, he amassed an extensive back catalogue of songs and instrumentals across all genres, again most of which has never been heard by the public ear. Indeed, one of his secret ambitions was to have some of his music used in soundtracks on the big screen. He left behind a formidable legacy, a lifetime's work.

"We feel that this legacy should be preserved and made available for all to enjoy. So with this in mind a website, www.seamusmcconnell.com, archiving Seamus's work, is planned. In the meantime, however, a small sample of his music and both published and non-published works can be enjoyed at www.springtowncamp.com.
           
"We sincerely hope you enjoy this book and it gives you as much laughter reading it as Seamus had writing it and as we had updating it. On behalf of Seamus, we would like to thank the people of Derry who were the main contributors to this book.

"So put a bush in thon gap, get a wee sope in yur han' and enjoy!"

The Wile Big Derry Phrasebook - City Of Culture Edition will be launched on Thursday August 1 at 7 pm in Derry-Londonderry's Central Library. Published by Guildhall Press, the book is available from all good bookshops, and direct, from www.ghpress.com. Read more...

Welcome To Colmville!

For one day only, Derry-Londonderry gains a new name...

The sound of roaring thunder is heard from behind the front of a large wooden "box" outside the entrance to the Guildhall. The mood of the numerous crowd members scattered around the square is as eager and excitable as it is impatient, with curiosity about the contents inside "the box". The joyousness is matched only by the slight discomfort caused by the sweltering conditions, with the need for ice creams, cold drinks and sunburn avoidance at what seems like an all time high.

We, the people of Derry-Londonderry, are not used to this. Not just the weather, but also the publicity. Amateur and professional photographers are searching for the best spots near the box. A BBC presenter and her cameraman have travelled from Nottingham to be part of the occasion. Forget One Big Weekend, this is the event that the first ever UK City Of Culture has clearly been waiting for.

Then, it happens. The Josef Locke tenors rip off their security jackets and burst into quite a special mix of song and mild dance. Part operatic, part Fred Astaire (top hats and all), their rendition of "Hear My Song" elicits loud cheers from everyone. Not quite as melodic, but equally as pleasing, are the antics of the two workmen who try to open the box with a hammer and drill, that is, when they're not improvising with those tools. Eventually, the lid of the "box" slowly comes down to reveal... a book? The cover of a dusty book, with large cobwebs all around it?

But this is not just any old and dusty book. It's the Book Of Kells, an illuminated Latin manuscript Gospel book created by Celtic monks. Or so history would have us believe. When a little girl and a monk open this particular Book Of Kells in front of us, it is revealed to be empty.

"There's nothing in the book", a woman next to me says. "Not - yet..." I smile, knowing that the best is definitely yet to come. And that is indeed the case. Jaunty Irish music starts to play as the monk begins to draw a large map of Derry on the right-hand page of the centre of the book. The Guildhall Square, The Walled City, the River Foyle, the Peace Bridge, the Loch Ness monster, the Gasyard, the Railway Station, the Long Church Tower, Ebrington Square... a cheer is reserved for every single recognisable landmark that appears on the map as the crowd relish both the temporary "transformation" of the city and the excitement that lies ahead.

A door - yes, a little "door" - is then drawn at the bottom of the page for the monk to literally cut open. Through the paper door, children emerge from the book to distribute maps of "Colmville" to every spectator.

Ah yes - Colmville. What is Colmville? Why, it's Derry-Londonderry, of course, for one weekend only! And for the next few hours, monks and guidebooks are to lead the people of the city through an afternoon of music, movement and the spoken word. Local history lessons, medieval food, medieval fashion and even contemporary rock are to highlight what promises to be a memorable afternoon.

As I leave everyone to enjoy themselves, I wonder what everyone's favourite memories of Colmville will be by the end of the very long day... Read more...

Australian Children's Laureates Visit City Of Culture

Two award winning authors from Down Under are thrilled to be visiting Derry-Londonderry

Tuesday April 2 will see the two inaugural Australian Children's Laureates pay a visit to Derry's Verbal Arts Centre. Boori Monty Pryor and Alison Lester will be reading their work and partaking in a question and answer session hosted by Joe Mahon, Lesser Spotted Culture, beginning at 10:30am.

The occasion is part of the Verbal Arts Centre's programme of events for City of Culture 2013, entitled Disobey Gravity.

The VAC's Learning & Skills Development Officer, Catherine McGrotty, says, "Disobey Gravity aims to saturate the city in great books, brilliant stories, exciting literary events, and, most importantly, promote reading for pleasure in 2013 and beyond. This particular event focuses on the important role reading has in the lives of children."

The award winning Australian authors were invited to Ireland by Arts Council NI Chief Executive Roisin McDonough to encourage creative interactions between the countries, hopefully leading to future collaborations in children's creativity. She believes there is much to be learned from the Laureates about how they use literature to connect with young people.

"What is certain is that Boori and Alison, here to share Australia's experience of the value of instilling a love of books in children, will give fresh impetus to all of us who are committed to the development of our young people through literature and the arts."

Both Laureates express their delight at visiting Ireland.

Pryor writes, "Ireland. I know you get a wee bit colder in the winter and not much warmer in the summertime. But summertime is always ready to shine from inside the hearts of your people."

Lester says, "I can’t wait to come to Ireland. I’ve been wanting to visit for as long as I’ve been able to read, I guess, because so many of the books I love are set in Ireland."

There will be two free children’s workshops held in the Verbal Arts Centre, Derry-Londonderry, in the afternoon. Boori Monty Pryor will be holding a participation based, storytelling workshop for children aged 6-10 years old and Alison Lester will be hosting a book making workshop for children aged 11-14 years old. Both will take place between 1:30 – 2:30pm. 

Email communications@verbalartscentre.co.uk to book a place or for more information. Read more...

Death Of An Institution (s)

Throughout our rather short life span (we haven't even approached our first birthday yet!) Si's Sights And Sounds has sought to bring you the best from the City Of Culture 2013. But for every rise, there's a fall...

As a cultural rebirth takes place in other parts of town, a death takes place in another. For every new coffee house, sports store, exhibition or train line that opens, or re-opens, there's a HMV that closes.

Few may bat an eyelid, let alone shed a tear, at this news, especially in the days of modern online shopping. Sad as it is that the friendly and accommodating HMV staff are losing their place of work, the advent of Kindles, iTunes and Amazon have contributed to an unassailable decline, even a near-death, in regular, traditional retail marketing. Why travel to buy expensive records when you can do it more cheaply from the comfort of your own home?

Yet there is undeniable sympathy for the HMVs of this world, especially from the generation that grew up with them - and the Virgins. These were the major record stores that gave us our first and arguably best insight to the music and film universe - without them, we may never have developed such large and varied vinyl, tape, CD, VHS, DVD and Blu-Ray collections. I can still remember being overawed by my first visit to the Virgin Megastore in Birmingham, UK, in 1993 - everything I needed or wanted to know about entertainment was under one roof. The excitement and memories the Virgin Megastores and HMVs gave us - it didn't matter whether you were buying a product or standing there listening to your favourite song - will never be forgotten. These institutions were more than just a job for those who worked in them - they created all sorts of friendly and audio-visual memories that online retail cannot touch. When you hear Gotye's "Giving Me A Chance" play over the speakers in the rapidly emptying Derry HMV, it makes you wish that the powers-that-be would give the staff another chance...

But we must also admit that the writing has been on the wall for high street music retailers for years. The prices they charged - nearly twenty years ago, a CD cost me around £15 - sound extortionate now, especially in this very tough economic climate. With hindsight, Richard Branson's decision to leave his Virgin Megastores in the hands of their management several years ago - remember how suddenly all the stores were renamed Zavvi? - seems an extremely wise one. The way things are going, who's to say that Waterstones - the likes of which we will probably never see in Derry - won't suffer the same fate as Our Price, Virgin and now HMV?

It is now left for Cool Discs to become both the Championship Vinyl - you have seen High Fidelity, right? - and the major record retailer of Derry-Londonderry by themselves. And while I am certain they will do a great job of it, you do wonder and worry about what HMV's demise will eventually mean for Lee Mason's popular store.

As I leave HMV and stroll out into the frozen Derry streets again, I look across the road and notice that another "institution" is on the verge of closure, a place I bought some really good shirts from.

And I think to myself: For fcuk's sake, it never ends... Read more...

Meet Lucy Caldwell

The Belfast-born author and playwright chats about her latest novel in front of an expectant Derry audience

BBC Radio Ulster's Marie-Louise Muir welcomes the "very versatile and multi-talented" Lucy Caldwell into Derry-Londonderry's Cafe Blooms to equally warm applause. Her latest piece of literature, All The Beggars Riding, tells the story of Patrick, a plastic surgeon from Belfast who begins an affair with Jane, a work colleague from his part-time job at the Harley Street clinic in London. Meanwhile, back in Belfast, his wife falls pregnant, but he doesn't stop his affair, and soon afterwards, Jane falls pregnant too. And neither wife nor mistress has found out about one another...

The novel – rather racy stuff, if you hear the extract Caldwell reads – is told from the viewpoint of Jane’s daughter, Lara. She's struggling to write her memoir, and believes that visualising the scenario from inside her mother’s head will help her to understand the way her parents work. It's like, as Muir puts it, having a discussion with yourself on how you became a writer.

The book will soon be read on BBC Radio 4's Book At Bedtime by Mrs. James McAvoy herself, Anne-Marie Duff, and it has also been chosen for the One City, One Book initiative later this year; it will be the reading material for the cities of Derry and Belfast during the month of May.

A delighted Caldwell proclaims her pleasure at being able to perform her first public reading of the novel in Cafe Blooms, the "best location in the city" in her eyes, before she reads her extract to us. It's an interesting section, one that gives us the idea of living through the narrator and finding out where the passionate affair materialised. But what an idea – how can a man and a woman have two different families, and never the twain shall meet?

"It all started with a dream I had several years ago", Caldwell says. "In my dream, a doctor was living a double life. And at the time, I was researching my second novel which was set in Bahrain, and wasn't looking for a new idea at all. But the 'double life' stayed with me, and I found myself looking for similar stories in newspapers and magazines. I found so many examples. Recently I met a journalist who told me her uncle's next-door neighbour had had a boy and a girl with two families, and had even called them the same names so he wouldn't get them confused!"

The lack of moral-finger pointing in the book is striking. While one would think that "having two families on the go" is extremely wrong and morally reprehensible, there's no morality in the story as such. It's just a case of both wife and mistress wanting to have a good life, and one never feels like blaming the father.

Caldwell realises that moralising things in the book would have been "too easy" and believed, when writing the book, that fiction could underline the need to understand. She took much inspiration from Nathaniel Kahn’s documentary "My Architect", where Kahn set out to understand his own father once he grew up and his father had died.

"The film is not made with a shred of recrimination or bitterness, just to need to really, truly understand a situation, a situation which Jane never sets herself up to be in to begin with. She can't make friends and cuts herself off from her disapproving parents. No one likes to find themselves in such a state of affairs, but through decision-making you can end up so far from the person you thought you'd be, or thought you were. My book sets out to explore this."

It gets deeper too, with Jane reaching the end of her tether after becoming pregnant for a second time and going to confront Patrick’s wife in Belfast. And it's here where Lara’s memoir collapses; she doesn't remember much, but she remembers that her mother was pregnant and that Patrick hasn’t admitted his own wife's pregnancy. Will Lara be able to understand why her mother stayed with Patrick for so long and why she did what she did? That appears to be the mystery of All The Beggars Riding, in addition to whether this plastic surgeon, one who continuously fixes people's faces, cannot fix his own life.

While also a playwright, Caldwell seems particularly happy to have conceived this idea as a novel: "I think a novel, any novel, is the best way of conveying imagination, reflectivity and consciousness. Radio's a very imaginative medium too because you can be really wide-ranging with it; it always feels like the voice inside your head. With theatre, it's really hard, because it's more about what the characters are doing rather than what they are saying. The key, for me, is to always be in control of the medium you’re working in."

Despite currently being based in London, Caldwell remains very true to her roots. She's done all her radio work with Heather Lorimer at BBC NI, and has always tried to get her plays premieres in Belfast.

Going on to discuss her writing in general, Caldwell recalls just how much writers can learn from fellow literary minded people: "People thought I was telling my life story in my first novel, Where They Were Missed, which was set between Belfast and Donegal. So for my second novel, The Meeting Point, I wanted to do something bigger, bolder and more imaginative.

"Three years later I found myself struggling with a 100,000 word draft. I had a sinking feeling it was going nowhere, and one of my readers, a freelance editor, felt the same way.  So I tried to get a job, and realised I didn't know what to do! I didn’t even have a CV. It was then when I heard Indian author Kiran Desai had also been at her wits' end when writing her second novel, but she managed to pull herself together and write it. Her inspiring, self-depreciating wisdom gave me the spark I needed to complete the novel."

It all ties in with a line from Chekhov's The Seagull, one that Caldwell thinks of a lot: "The most important thing is the ability to endure, and keep on enduring." Such wise words have kept her going throughout a profession that seems to have more than its fair share of peaks and troughs.

"When a book isn't working, or if I'm struggling to keep going, I always remind myself that there are levels of having a bad day or a difficult job. Enduring a disappointing review or a negative comment is nothing compared to listening to people and hearing their stories. While I was researching The Meeting Point in Bahrain and Iraq, I had the incredible privilege of meeting numerous novelists and poets. It's all about balancing the highs and lows."

For all the highs, however, it will be a while before Caldwell has the stamina to write her next novel, considering the amount of work, travel and "emotional complexities" that are likely to come with it. Although if anyone was to approach her about film rights for All The Beggars Riding, "it'd be great!"

For more about Lucy Caldwell, and All The Beggars Riding, check out her official website at www.lucycaldwell.com. Read more...

City Of Culture 2013 Programme Launch: Quotes And News

Derry-Londonderry's Culture Company launches the first edition of the City Of Culture Programme for 2013

Celebrating the City Of Culture Programme Launch at Ebrington Square. From left to right at the front are: Shona McCarthy, Culture Company CEO; Martin McGuinness, Deputy First Minister; Martin Bradley, Culture Company Chairman; Cllr Kevin Campbell, Mayor Of Derry. Photo: Martin McKeown, inpresspics.com

Today, the first edition of the programme for Derry-Londonderry 2013, the UK's inaugural City Of Culture, was announced.

The coming year will see The Maiden City host a rich, varied programme of arts and entertainments. Among these will be the presentation of the Turner Prize, taking place outside England for the first time; a new commission by the London Symphony Orchestra; award-winning choreographer Hofesh Schechter and his big-picture vision of oppression, survival, resistance and existence, "Political Mother"; the return of the Field Day theatre company, who promise an eclectic programme of stage performance, new media and exhibitions; a new play by American playwright Sam Shepard; local Nobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney; and the first visit to Northern Ireland by the Royal Ballet for more than twenty years.

City Of Culture 2013 mascot Oaky Doakes strolls around Ebrington Square. Photo: Tom Heaney, nwpresspics.com

The year will open with "Sons & Daughters", a free concert staged in a new purpose-built pavilion in the heart of the city, on the banks of the River Foyle. The concert, co-produced by the BBC, will celebrate Derry's rich musical heritage.

Here's what some of the people involved at the launch had to say:

Shona McCarthy, Culture Company CEO:

"We hope that Derry-Londonderry's City Of Culture year brings a sense of joy, a sense of ambition, a sense of pride in our community, a sense of being part of a global community, and in the end a sense of achievement - that we all did this together and it meant something. A huge success for a small city."

Cllr Kevin Campbell, Mayor Of Derry:

"The City Of Culture year will transform our city and region. The range of contemporary music, dance, theatre, arts and performance events will link our diverse communities in programmes of celebration. The exciting programme of events scheduled for 2013 will encourage, develop and showcase our amazing cultural talent to the world and lay the foundations for economic prosperity for years to come."

Culture Minister Carál Ní Chuilín:

"2013 promises to be a momentous year for Derry and for this part of Ireland. With such an exciting programme of events to suit everyone's tastes, the endorsement this week from the Lonely Planet and the sheer dedication to make this happen, Derry, City Of Culture, is not to be missed. Derry is ready to embrace this opportunity and to showcase Ireland's rich culture and heritage on the local and international stage."

For more information, check out www.cityofculture2013.com.

(Video courtesy of Rory McSwiggan. Animation courtesy of The Nerve Centre, with music by Gary Curran of The Japanese Popstars.) Read more...

Si's Sights And Sounds Meets: Danny McLaughlin

The Derry-based comic book writer, a martial artist, conceptualist, strategist, promoter and lover of all kinds of media tells Si's Sights And Sounds all about the Zombies, Hi!, and much, much more...

As far back as you can remember, did you always want to be a comic writer?

No, not really. In all honesty, I wanted to be an engineer! I wanted to build, solve problems and fix the world. And ironically enough, that's what I still do, but my own worlds. I build in my imagination. When you design and create stories, you are problem solving. And hopefully, when someone reads my work, I imbue in them a sense of morality, so hopefully on some level I am fixing the world!

I do remember making up little characters and situations in my head when I was younger, but to me, that was just fun. Like every other kid in the galaxy, I always felt a close relationship with heroic figures like Batman, Superman and the X-Men. And then, one day, I received my first comic book, and saw those people in masks and uniforms fighting for a better world. Through that, home, school and karate dojo I was imbued with not just my morals, but high ideals and philosophical dilemmas. I was hooked from that moment on.

Since then, I've been creating stories around those ideals and philosophies, building characters that are part of my ego, who then set out to explore and answer life's big questions. To be honest, I believe that we are all writers, creating ourselves to answer such questions.

What was the catalyst for your writing career?

Firstly, I must mention reading the opus that is Watchmen, by the awesome but odd Alan Moore. It was just the book I needed while I was growing up, because that was when my love affair with comics began. It was when I realised that comics, childish throwaway books with pretty pictures and 2D characters, could, behind their innocent facade, completely catch you off guard and deal with massive blows of reality.

Having found Alan Moore's work so appealing, I next read Swamp Thing, and I found myself questioning what the title character questions: Who am I? What can I do? It was then that I began to ponder such questions myself, and realise that if one could truly answer questions like that for themselves, then he or she would be happy in life. So I decided to find out who I was and what I could do - through the power of the written word.

Everybody's talking about the Zombies, Hi! How did the comic originate, and how did you come to be involved?

It all began as a concept. Me and artist Kevin "Gio" Logue have been firing stories together for quite some time, and one day, we wondered, "How do we tell the story of Derry?" We had loads of ideas, but no bad guy! Fortunately, me and Gio realised that zombies are bad guys who need no introduction, so we threw them in and essentially got on with telling the story of our home town and characters that we know and love, based on people we see every day! People always say "write what you know", and for us, that's Derry. So I created a world inspired by the locals, the history, the way we speak and the troubles we face every day. What we've ended up with is basically a love letter to our hometown, an epic story that always has been, and will continue to be, inspired by local pop culture.

 Danny McLaughlin with artist Kevin "Gio" Logue

What was your favourite cartoon growing up?

Thundercats! HOOOOO! I was a wee bit obsessed. And the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Then there was the Batman animated series... actually, there might be too many to mention.

Whose drawing style, or styles, do you admire the most?

Even today, I couldn't tell you too much about artists or their styles. But what I can tell you is that I do love, or am at least influenced by, a gritty but strong anatomical style. I also have a soft spot for really clean, cartoony artwork.

Tell us about the latest news, and also what's in store for you, in regard to Zombies, Hi! and other projects.

The seventh issue of Zombies, Hi! will be out in time for Hallowe'en! And with a dedicated team, as opposed to a skeleton crew working on it, it will now be out every two months, and hopefully every month sometime after Christmas. Also the comic is in the process of being transformed into an interactive app, with animated scenes, interactivity, games, music, sound effects and hidden bonus material all included.

As for me, if I get the time I'm looking to produce two scripts. One is a really gritty story about a broken man and his struggle to pull the pieces of his life together after years of it falling apart. The other is a retro spiritual/steampunk tale, currently titled "The God Conundrum", which explores a world that relies on science until the breakthrough in atomic sciences brings proof of Godliness to the forefront.

How proud are you of Zombies, Hi!, and how much further do you see it going?

Very proud. It's my first outing as a writer and the flagship comic of our company, Uproar. As I mentioned before, it's my love letter to the people of the city I grew up in. I love the lingo of the town, and no other comic in the entire universe uses the Derry accent or slang! And most of all, I take pride in talking to the people who have been influenced and impassioned by our story and the comics. Of course, I would love to see the comic go on forever, but I do have an end date set in mind. Issue 24 could well be the ultimate conclusion for the series. But it definitely won't be the end for Uproar. We plan to keep roaring louder and for a long time to come!

 
Uproar Comics will be hosting a Hallowe'en Party entitled Outbreak! at the end of the month. For more information, check out Uproar Comics on Facebook.

To buy copies of Zombies Hi! Volumes One to Six, visit the official Uproar Comics website at www.uproarcomics.co.uk. Read more...

City Of Culture 2013 Programme Preview

Si's Sights And Sounds visited St. Columb's Hall to watch Derry's Culture Company provide a glimpse of what's to come in 2013...

In 2013, "the town they love so well" - Derry-Londonderry - officially becomes the UK City Of Culture. And since the city earned that prestigious accolade back in 2010, many interested locals have been wondering not only if Derry can deliver, but exactly what Derry is going to deliver.

It was left to the city's Culture Company to provide some of the answers at a special Programme Preview in St. Columb's Hall today, hosted by the BBC's Gerry Anderson.

From left to right: Jorgie Porter (Hollyoaks), Mark Durkan MP, Martin Bradley (Chairman, Culture Company), Martina Anderson MEP, Ben Kelly (The Voice), Phil Coulter, Shona McCarthy (Chief Executive, Culture Company), Tom Scurr (Hollyoaks)

WELB Head Of Music Dónal Doherty introduced the Musical Pathway To Learning programme, which is, as the title suggests, all about music. Or, to be more specific, a chance for Derry children to sing and play instruments. During 2013, every child between the age of three and eight years old will have the opportunity to participate in this programme, which is closely linked to the musical extra-curricular work carried out at schools. It is hoped that the scheme will develop children's language and literature skills in addition to building their confidence and self-esteem.

To demonstrate the benefits of the scheme, a group of Primary 3 school children from Long Tower and Fountain Primary Schools then took to the stage in front of the St. Columb's Hall audience.

Written by award-winning author and screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce (Hilary And Jackie, Millions), The Return Of Colm Cille, to take place on June 9, is a story about a "giant of culture", one of the city's founding fathers. Featuring the people of the city as performers and participants, it promises to be a large and epic outdoor spectacle full of "drama, colour, music and performance" - in other words, the best of all cultural worlds.

Hofesh Schechter, described as one of the UK's most exciting contemporary artists, is coming to Derry in 2013. From the start of the year, his musicians will teach and explore his soundtrack to local youths in a bid to prepare them to work and perform with his company. This will, in turn, culminate in a series of special performances from March 9 onwards, entitled Political Mother.

Schechter said he was fascinated by the "emotional history" of Derry, which made the prospect of working in the city quite "powerful" and "interesting" to him. He added that it was really important for him to "engage" with Derry while he worked.

Music City! will call on all amateur and professional musicians to perform on the streets of Derry on June 21. Pianist Barry Douglas commented that events like these play a part in "sharing the great impact music can have on humanity."

A new cantata, At Sixes And Sevens, has been commissioned to mark the 400th anniversary of the relationship between Derry and London. It will receive its world premiere on July 3.

Hollywood actor Stephen Rea took to the stage, along with young playwright Clare Dwyer-Hogg, to discuss Hogg's new play, "Farewell", which will be performed by the Field Day Theatre Company in November 2012 as a prelude to the 2013 celebrations. Preparations are also in place for another new Field Day play to premiere in Derry during the Culture year.

The dates for the largest festival of Irish Culture in the world, the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, were also confirmed today; the event will take place from August 11 to August 18. And The Turner Prize, the UK's foremost award for contemporary art, will be presented in Derry near the end of the year.

Bosnian theatre director Haris Pasovic excitedly discussed The Conquest Of Happiness, a unique theatre event which will have its world premiere in the city during the summer of 2013. Through music, dance and drama, an international cast will explore the possibilities of being happy in an increasingly unhappy world. Additionally, the cast and crew of Hollyoaks are working in conjunction with NI Screen to bring "something special" to Derry next year, and RTE's eclectic music show Other Voices will branch out from its traditional home in St. James' Church in Dingle to host a number of performances in the city.

The producer of "Other Voices", Philip King, said: "When you become a capital of culture, you're sending an important, wonderful, unique and creative message to the world. But you're also enhancing your self-esteem and self worth to the point where you become a considerable presence on the world stage. You are creating a renewable, refreshable resource. This is a new beginning for Derry."

Musical performances from The Voice's Ben Kelly, Derry teenager Soak, Barry Douglas and Phil Coulter (above) helped light up the atmosphere in St. Columb's Hall. There was even the unveiling of the new City Of Culture mascot - "Oakey Dokes" (below) - to look forward to.

Culture Company Chief Executive Shona McCarthy said: "Today is a hugely exciting day for all of us. It's time to give the city a taste of culture in a game-changing year."

Read more...

An Online Audience With Nick Hornby...And A Little More

I had planned to open this site with a review of a CD that I picked up in Caffe Nero last week (you'll see it soon enough). But this afternoon, thanks to the wonders of Twitter (when will the distractions of Social Networking ever cease?) and FilmClub UK, I got caught up in an online chat with Nick Hornby.

Hornby has always been among my favourite writers for one reason: he has a unique grasp of our generation - the 15 to 35 year old age group - that few of his rivals have been able to match. Think of a line, or a number of lines, from any of his books or film adaptations, and you'll see where I'm coming from. Like the opening line of "Fever Pitch" where he likens football to women, or Rob's self-depreciating, but very telling monologue on music and misery at the beginning of "High Fidelity". (Spoken by John Cusack, the words take on extra resonance.)

One can't escape the fact that his adaptations have aged marvellously, too. On its release more than a decade ago, I wrote that "High Fidelity" was "nothing to get excited about"*, whereas time and repeated viewings have since transformed it into one of my favourite films. It really is the quintessential Nick Hornby adaptation - it's understated, brilliantly executed and captures everything about its generation so skilfully. (Even more so than "About A Boy", which, for the record (groan!), I still highly enjoy to this day. Hugh Grant has never been better.)

When I asked Nick (through FilmClub) about why he believed "Hi-Fi" had endured like it did, he said: "It's a coming of age story, about making the most of what you've got. Also, people have an extremely intense relationship with music." I certainly can't argue with that.

Nor can I argue with his point about the disappearance of record stores from the high streets. He reminded me of the time I walked out of Derry's Virgin Megastore and found it had been renamed Zavvi. It turned out that was the beginning of the end for that particular store...

It was also interesting, enlightening and even amusing to hear his comments about novels ("Novels that are 'too internal' don't make great movies") how to be a writer ("You've got to write!") and, probably most of all, his belief in how inspirational watching a great film can be. ("Art promotes wit, heart and tolerance")

All in all, a highly enjoyable chat. I'll leave you with what's probably my favourite musical moment from a Hornby adaptation - John Cusack's Rob selling The Beta Band's music to his customers (and me) the only way he knows how:

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*Truth is, the Si of those days measured most comedies up against the American Pie's and 10 Things I Hate About You's of this world, neither of which have aged so well. Read more...