A Silent War at the Strand Arts Centre

A Silent War, The Strand Arts Centre, Saturday 12th November at 2pm. This event will have British Sign Language interpretation. 

A Silent War is a powerful collection of cine-poetry created whilst living through the pandemic. It began in 2020, when Ross Thompson invited other writers to record readings of these poems in their houses during the first lockdown. Since then The Digital Film Archive has been working with Ross and a series of film makers and musicians to bring these poems to the screen.

Join Ross Thompson (poet), Laura O’Connor (artist and film maker) and John D’Arcy (Hive Choir) in conversation with Ann Donnelly (on behalf of the Digital Film Archive). This event will show some of the poems and some of the unfinished experiments whilst some of the people involved talk about their creative part in A Silent War. 

The screening will include films and soundtracks by BEAMA, Hive Choir, Susan Hughes, Jason Lytle and Georgios Varoutsos. Interviews with the poets filmed by Michael MacBroom. 

Archive is courtesy of Roy Spence, BFI, Archie Reid, Tourism NI and UTV (copyright ITV, courtesy of the Partnership Project with PRONI). Thanks to Anna Liesching and staff at the Ulster Museum; Johanna Leech and the staff at the Strand Arts Centre and the staff at the MAC for filming in their venues as they prepared to reopen after lockdown.  

This is a free event. To book your ticket follow this link to the Belfast Film Festival Website: https://belfastfilmfestival.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873639794/events/129451560

There is a £5 ticket is available as an optional donation option. Proceeds from this option will go towards Cruse Bereavement.

This project is supported by Department for Communities 

Image credit: Sakura by Susan Hughes 2021

Stick around for the Strand's Celluloid Saturday and see the cinema's film artefacts - more details here:https://www.strandartscentre.com/events/thief/

Location: The Strand Cinema Belfast

152-154 Holywood Rd, Belfast BT4 1NY

Duration approx 90 mins

This event will have British Sign Language Interpretation

Information from the venue about Access:

Making all areas of this 1930s building accessible is a key aim of our capital refurbishment plans. Until then, please be aware that the building is not fully accessible.

Screen 2 is wheelchair accessible only via street level entrance on the Holywood Road. Please advise The Strand in advance if possible if you will require access via this entrance. We have accessible toilets in our upper foyer but there are around four steps up into this foyer from the ground floor. Our first floor reception area is not wheelchair accessible.