Imagining Medieval Belfast: Castles, Artifacts and Clay Making

Prehistoric iron sword found around High Street ... neolithic axes at City Airport … old town defences under Victoria Square … could there be Gaelic castle foundations under Dunnes Stores?

Béal Feirste’s past is long and buried (literally). Artefacts from our oldest, and for some inconvenient, history have already been found beneath our buildings, shops and streets and Archaeologists believe that much more could still be buried for us to rediscover. Under the lives we live around town today, a whole Medieval world could wait. Join Queer Shed Béal Feirste for this decolonial history workshop to excavate and reimagine some of our earliest possibilities.

The workshop will start with a talk from local history tour guide Derbhla McDermott (derbhla.ie) exploring archaeological digs across our town, what has been found, and what could still be waiting patiently for us to claim. Then Ceramicist Laura Potts (pot.t.s) will be on hand to guide us in creating our own ancient Belfast artefact in clay, drawing from examples of the cool/weird/interesting Medieval things found around Belfast, the rest of Ireland or wherever our imagination takes us. This is a shared history for us to build in our hands, rediscover and reinvent in whatever new ancient ways we feel like.

Everyone’s clay artefacts will be kiln fired by Laura, and then a further date arranged for collection after the workshop.

★ HISTORY IS NOW ★

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Queer Shed Bhéal Feirste