A very Derry mix of arts and pasts

New plays, Other Voices and the presentation of the Turner Prize: Derry is relishing its role as UK City of Culture

It’s a busy Saturday at the Quayside shopping centre, in Derry, and a man in his 60s is bustling out the door of Tesco. He catches my eye and nods, and I ask whether he’s aware of the City of Culture. “I know about it, love, but I’ve no interest in that kind of thing,” he says. Laughing, he wanders outside to the grey afternoon.

Of all the people I’ve approached in cafes, on the street and at bus stops, his is the sole voice of apathy about Derry’s role as UK City of Culture. Mass osmosis of the designation is in full swing: there are billboards on street corners, and event brochures in every shop and cafe. On the street outside, Ann Hassan, from Limavady, is intrigued by the events. “There are ads on the radio all the time; you can’t miss it. My background is in céilí dancing, so I’m interested in the dance elements but not in painting or that kind of thing.”

Sharon Wilson, who works in a local newsagent’s, cites the events she liked, such as the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann and last weekend’s Other Voices concerts. “Derry has been really badly represented in the press over the years because of the Troubles, but it has really changed. People need to come here and see what it’s like.”

This is the inaugural year of the UK City of Culture, and it is seen as something of a coup for Derry to scoop the award. Like other city-specific awards, Derry wasn’t plucked from a line-up. Heavy lobbying was involved and included support from many of the city’s prominent figures. Seamus Heaney, one of the city’s two Nobel laureates, was among those vocal in championing the project, as was Maolíosa Boyle, the director of Derry’s contemporary art gallery, Void. Her involvement in the City of Culture bid dates to 2009, with the gallery an intrinsic cog in securing the award. “There’s a big difference in the city in the past month. People’s confidence has changed, and as someone who is from the city, I can really see it,” says Boyle. “Everyone is proud to see big names coming here, and the city is showing that it can deliver big-name acts. People really feel part of it. There’s also this emergence of incredible talent.”

Derry has multiple strands to its history, but the past five decades has been hallmarked by the Troubles. From the Battle of the Bogside in 1969 to the 1972 Bloody Sunday shootings, its cultural and artistic achievements have been overshadowed by political attrition and sectarian conflict. At times, there has been a confluence of art and politics, where artists have responded to the city’s issues. Field Day’s contribution to Irish dramaturgy cannot be overestimated, and part of 2013’s citywide theatre programme revives key works by Brian Friel, including Translations and The Freedom of the City. Heaney has often united personal experience with the wider discourse of political devastation in his poetry.

Engaging with the past

While the sense in the city today is of hope, and of looking forward, many people also feel it is important to engage with the past. Political amnesia can affect cultural responses. Jenni Doherty works with the independent book publisher Guildhall Press, and runs the Little Acorns bookshop. She is disappointed that there are not more literary events, and believes that looking to the future comes with a responsibility to the past. “Derry is a wonderful place to be from and is steeped with things to write about. I only hope that what is written embraces a vibrancy of truth worthy of any international city, without disregarding its darker past.”

Cross-community involvement is another central tenet of the project. Several events, such as One Big Weekend and a production of Annie, appeal directly to younger people, but for many it’s about involving those of different cultures and heritages.

“It’s very important to provide as many free events as possible, to make things accessible to a new audience,” says Boyle. “It’s difficult to know if it’s seeping into the communities that really need it, but many community organisations are taking part in City of Culture.”

One such organisation is the Greater Shantallow Area Partnership, which is staging its own festival after consulting with every age group in the area about what they would like to see happen as part of this year’s designation.

Inclusive city

Just as the enthusiasm outweighs the naysayers, Doherty points out that some have taken issue with the etymology of the award. “There is still a small minority in divided camps because it’s called a ‘UK’ City of Culture, but it’s really trying to be inclusive of every political persuasion. It’s important to remember that Derry is very much a multicultural and youthful city, as much as it is a proud and family-based city. If you aren’t from here and just happened to be visiting, you would sense an air of anticipation, a hint of a party about to happen. It is exciting, and I only hope that it continues long after the fireworks go out.”

The Derry/Londonderry issue has also arisen, with “Legenderry” becoming an interim non-de-plume devoid of politics. Neil Hannon of Divine Comedy was born in the city and lived here for more than a decade. Last weekend, while performing at Other Voices, he offered an alternative city name to solve the problem. “Why not Mathilda? It’s a nice name.”

The main programme is ambitious and incorporates dance, theatre, music and comedy. The comedian Jimmy Carr was in the city last week, and the Portrait of the City strand acknowledges the architectural nuances of a city that is about more than its famous walls. Theatre is strongly represented by a new play, Three Monologues, by Jennifer Johnston, and Frank McGuinness’s Factory Girls. In April, Field Day will present Thirsty Dust, a new play written by the acclaimed American actor and playwright Sam Shepard. Visual art is dominated by Void, which has coaxed international artists such as Andrei Molodkin and Santiago Sierra to the city, and is planning a major exhibition by local artist Willie Doherty. Void’s biggest coup is that this year’s Turner Prize will be announced in the city. “The Turner Prize coming to the city really does alter people’s perception,” says Boyle, who has been giving an average of two interviews a day with journalists from all over the world.

A contingent from the Guardian was in the city last weekend to stream Other Voices live on its website, but Martin Chilton, culture editor of the Telegraph website, says coverage has been “occasional” in the UK. “We covered the launch of the programme on our website, and there have been culture and travel features too. The programme looks very diverse and strong. It’s good that the Royal Ballet will be visiting Northern Ireland for the first time in over a decade.”

In cultural terms, the next 10 months will be seismic for Derry, and there is a sense that the City of Culture designation is about starting conversations that need to be ongoing. “Legacy is a word that’s part of everyone’s conversation,” says Boyle. “In terms of arts organisations, I want there to be sustainability: there can’t be a dip after 2013. What’s happening needs to continue into the future. This needs to apply to that palpable change in people’s attitudes and confidence, and that’s about taking part. The arts have the power to help us understand life.”

See cityofculture2013.com

Derry 2013: Three to see

* Ackroyd Harvey, the duo who created History Trees for the 2012 Olympics, will be grassing over a Derry structure. Spring.

* Andrei Molodkin at Void: His last project was an attempt to make oil from human corpses with a giant pressure cooker. Not to be missed. May-June .

* Teenage Kicks: A Punk Musical. A show about Derry’s most famous band. November.