SAM’S EDEN : two (2022/23)

sounds + silence - Janie Doherty and Array Collective

mopping up - Jane Peaker

listen to my words - Emma Brennan

hairstory - Charlie Beare with Finn Paul and High Society Cut Club

bent over straight line (pictured above) - (DW) Dean Black

parliament of things - Sara Pereira + Arjen Ploeger

a familiar plough into the knot of a tie - Suds McKenna

and from the Rainbow Project; Aaron Rhodes, Evan Gaston, Ann Davison, Annemarie Zambotti, Caroline Boyle, Catherine Pritchard, Darlene Corry, Deirdre McPolane, Doris Gentemann, Ezra Pinkerston, Hannah Johnston, Heather Fleming, Hilary McCollum, Huseini Samire, jAsper Pouw, Karolym Gaston, Lu Blue, Maoilíosa Scott, Matin Sharafi, Mícheál Ó Ruairc, Miles Greer, Minne Thomas, Mukwaya Ahamed Ali, Richard O’Leary, Saarla White, Ella Kelly, Lorraine Pollock, Audrius Geležinas, Beth Welch, Colm McCreedy, Fergus Wachala-Kelly, Leah Greer, George Wallace, Emer McGuckian, Marjella Clancy, Gerard McGrillen, John Barr, Soso [Sorcha NíCheallaigh], Fionn Dempsey, Nurtane Keragil, Manuela Moser, Stephen Connolly, Anthony Ferguson, Dean Lee, Elaine Forde, Katie Watchorn, Padraig Regan, Dominic McKeown, Husk Bennett, Silvia Koistinen, Peter McKenna, Leah Corbett, Rob McGilcuddy, Dillon Cordoba Mcgarity, Margaret Middleton, Chris Wilson.

With thanks to The MAC Belfast, The Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Belfast City Council, The Arts Council of Northern Ireland and The Rainbow Project Northern Ireland

Sounds + Silence a drawing workshop in two parts. 1: dancer and artist Janie Doherty performs a series of movements for the group who respond to her through a series of gestured marks and drawing using a selection of materials, participants respond though varied approaches. A selection of works are featured in the publication. 2: Array Collective members Clodagh Lavelle and Grace McMurray initiate a traditional life drawing class in a more relaxed environment of calm. Thr participants are split into two groups that experience both workshops in alternating order.

Mopping Up is a cookery workshop with chef Jane Peaker who took us on a nostalgic family journey of the experience of mopping up the dinner with lumps of bread. Jane demonstrated how to make butter for your Belfast BAP before making the fish course of turbot with beurre noisette. Mopping up was also the fish course for OF COURSE, a curatorial project by Manuela Moser at Catalyst Arts. This dinner part over a month long period invited artists and curators to host the courses with different groups.

Listen to my words is an experimental workshop led by artist Emma Brennan in exploring words to create gestural images that form compositions for voice. Starting with a selection of queer literature Brennan encouraged us to write the words that we responded most two, from these words create marks on paper, movements and even sounds in an attempt to create a notation for a score.
After the workshop Emma composed a series of pieces SAM’S AWAY for the publication that were performed as part of the launch event for the publication. These pieces were performed by Emma and other members of HIVE, an experimental vocal ensemble.

Hairstory was a multilayered workshop looking at our queer local history in the area around the MAC, this event took us on a walking tour with participants as we all told stories to each other and documented our findings. At the same time classic barbers Hannah and Johnny from High Society offered free gender affirming haircuts to transmasc and non-binary masc people. These portraits for photographed by Charlie Beare and a selection were published in the issue. To create greater visibility and trans representation in The MAC as part of the project, a showreel of archival short and independent films were screened these were selected by Finn Paul.

Bent Over Straight Lines is an architecture workshop led by phd researcher (dw) Dean Black looking at queer spaces, spaces of belonging and history of temporary structures and spaces as part of the history of queer culture. This workshop allowed the participants to play, experiment and use collaborative techniques to build a rudimentary shelter without tools from the basic materials provided.

Duo Sara da Costa and Arjen Ploegar were part of the International Masters Artist Educator (2021-2022) a maters degree from ArtEX University of the Arts Arnhem. that focused on researching art education for socially transformation. They came together with a common interest to research the intersection between their artistic practice and their Queer identities. As a project they devised a series of conversation workshops in which the participants could explore identity and fluidity as well as discuss societal issues.