Waterside conference backs culture bid

The 'City in Transition' conference took place at the Waterside Theatre on Thursday and examined the re-visioning process current underway in the city under the theme of 'From Contested Space to Active Space.'

The conference which was organised by the North West Carnival initiative and Derry City Council brought together individuals, community groups and statutory organisations to create an inclusive platform to assess the role of creative activity in public space and bringing communities together.

Among those backing Derry's bid to become UK City of Culture was Declan McGonagle, Director of the National College of Art and Design.

Locally born but now based in Dublin, Declan believes that the city has all the qualities required to make it a fantastic venue for the designation.

"It's hard to read what the selectors might be thinking but if they are looking for uniqueness, if they are looking for legacy, if they are looking for something very deep seated in terms of what United Kingdom means and what it means to be Irish and so forth then this is the only place that should get it. The energy here is going to be very powerful," he said.

Other high-profile individuals attending the conference who have given their endorsement to the Derry-Londonderry bid included Myriam Stoffen, Director of Zinneke (a major biennial festival in Brussels), Pax Nindi, Senior Combined Arts Officer with the Arts Council of England and Erica Campayne, Production Participation Officer, London Individual Festival of Theatre.

Chair of the Derry City Council's Development Committee, Councillor Helen Quigley, said that the conference had been valuable exercise as the city's bid for UK City of Culture Status continues to gather momentum.

"The conference provided an exciting opportunity for local organisations and individuals to listen to contribute their thoughts on the extended use of civic space and to direct the future development of civic celebration.

"The feedback will not only help in immediate planning but also the cultural programming of our bid for City of Culture 2013," she said.

The City in Transition Conference was funded through the Community Relations Unit in Northern Ireland and supported by Derry City Council and NWCI.