Sound Links: the story so far

Sound Links is a community-informed project by the Ulster Orchestra, Townsend Enterprise Park and Zeppo Arts for Belfast 2024, that will celebrate the rich history of Townsend Street, the Orchestra’s home, in a special block party on the street on 21 September 2024, International Peace Day.

Over the past few months, we’ve been out and about holding various consultation sessions for members of the public, trying to gather as many memories and stories of Townsend Street as possible that will be used to inspire the final event. We’ve been very pleased that so many people in the local area have been supportive of and interested in the project, as we really want the community to be involved in the project.

Above: Ulster Orchestra Animateur and writer Natasha Geary at a workshop in Glenwood PS.

We’ve also been visiting local schools, care homes, day centres and community groups, working with pupils, residents and attendees over several weeks, talking about their stories and ideas for the future of the street. We’ve been delighted by the variety of information and suggestions that have been shared with us.

Special thanks to everyone who has attended our consultation sessions; the groups and schools that have engaged so well with the project, St Comgall’s – Ionad Eileen Howell, New Life City Church, Townsend Enterprise Park, Glenwood Primary School, St. Mary’s Primary School, City Way Day Centre, Bradley Manor Care Home, Shankill Area Social History; and also to our facilitators, writers Natasha Geary, Emily DeDakis, Fionnuala Kennedy and Maria McManus; and Ulster Orchestra Animateur Jonathan Simmance.

Above: workshop participants from St Marys PS and City Way Day Centre.

All the material we’ve gathered has now been given to our composers, Úna Monaghan, Rory Friers and Jamie Thompson, who will use it as inspiration for the new music they are writing for the final celebration in Townsend Street on 21 September.

If you have any suggestions or ideas for this event you’d like to share, you can get in touch by 1 June 2024 via this online form, or by emailing [email protected], and stay tuned for more updates!

ulsterorchestra.org.uk/townsend

We’ll be working with Zeppo Arts to capture your stories of Townsend Street. If you’d like to contribute, please email us at [email protected] in the first instance. As we’re using email to collect your contact details we need to explain what we’re doing to protect the information you send us. You can find out more about that on our Privacy Policy page.