30 minutes

Time: 12:00-12:30pm (UK/IRL)

Location: Frederick Douglass Mural, Solidarity Wall, Northumberland Rd, Belfast

Join us for a warm welcome from the #DouglassWeek team together with local and international partners, who will give you an overview of #DouglassWeek participants and what’s to come this week.

2.5 hours

Starting time: 1:30pm
Location: Meeting point: The Salmon of Knowledge (The Big Fish), Donegall Quay, Lagan River bank (postcode BT1 3NG Belfast). This is by the Lagan Weir footbridge and behind the Customs House.

With Dr Tom Thorpe and Mark Doherty (Co-Founders)

"Fugitive Slave" Frederick Douglass visited Belfast in the 1840s to gather support for his campaign to abolish slavery in the USA. He spoke at around 12 locations in and around Belfast, causing a huge sensation. His presence had a significant impact on the city, helping to unite its divided Protestants, Catholics, Unionists and Nationalists around the abolitionist campaign. The Anti-Slavery Belfast Tour explores Douglass and his visits, as well as Belfast's connections to the transatlantic slave trade from the 17th century. It highlights how its citizens became integral to the abolitionist movement in the British Isles, ultimately contributing to the end of slavery in the British Empire and the wider world.

Tickets: £25 BUY HERE

2 hours

Time: 3:00-5:00pm

Location: Ulster University: Foyer of the Belfast School of Art building of Ulster University

Exhibition curated by Dr Clare Gallagher, Ulster University, Co-Director BA (Hons) Photography, Belfast School of Art

This group exhibition features new work around marginalized voices, examining diverse communities and issues connected by Belfast.

Artists include:
- Dr Emma Campbell, Array Collective
- Laura O’Connor, Array Collective
- Alessia Cargnelli, Array Collective
- Sarah Tehan, Ulster University PhD researcher
- Aidan O’Neill, Ulster University PhD researcher
- Jolene Mairs-Dyer (Shankill Women’s Group project), Ulster University, Lecturer in Screen Production
- A Culture of Hope (Cormac McArt’s project with refugees), Westcourt Centre
- It Won’t Always Be Like This, Sarah Kay & Brendan Harkin

Roundtable discussion: The event will bring together a panel of artists to discuss the ideas and challenges surrounding the portrayal of marginalized voices, examining diverse communities and issues connected by Belfast. Led by Dr Emma Campbell, the panel will also discuss the role of museums, galleries and other institutions in fighting racism and promoting education on issues such as identity, discrimination and racial bias through art. The discussion will also focus on the role of cultural institutions in raising awareness about implicit biases in curation and the world of art. The panelists will explore the challenges of representing the complexities of present-day changemakers, as well as historical ones such as Douglass, and their legacies in a way that is both accurate and engaging for a modern audience. Panelists will also address key themes of the exhibition, and the responsibility of cultural institutions to engage with the community and provide an inclusive space that promotes learning and social change.