12 September 2014

For the past six years, Writer’s Square in Donegall Street has been one of the essential venues for Culture Nighters. Be it drumming, dancing or dandering through to the next exciting space or place, the Square has been right in the heart of the Culture Night action.

This year is no exception, alongside Freestyle BMX demonstrations, live music, “Science in the Square”, samba, swinging flash-mobs and a Big Red Rocket (yes, really) there’s also going to be the exhilarating spectacle of full on Roller Derby, as the combatants from Belfast  Roller Derby don the battle armour, roller blades and big sticks and prepare to shake Culture Night up with a little crash, bang, wallop!

Belfast Roller Derby was established in 2010 and is currently ranked 64th in Europe.  Taking off a decade ago in the States, it’s now an international phenomenon. The women of Belfast Roller erby take to the Culture Night stage, ahead of December’s Roller Derby World Cup – were  6 local skaters have made the Team Ireland training squad.

Claire McAuley aka Polly Vinyl Chloride of Belfast Roller Derby said: “I am a big fan of Culture Night and so jumped at the chance to get Belfast Roller Derby involved. As a league, we are proud to represent Belfast – we are diverse, hard working and passionate about our sport and our city.  Culture Night gives us an opportunity to showcase what we do to a new audience – helping grow our fanbase and break down any misconceptions of what exactly we’re doing on skates! We’re an emerging sport and a small skater-run league and Culture Night Belfast is a brilliant chance for us to reach the wider community. We’d recommend it to everyone – the atmosphere is electric!

The Belfast Telegraph is not only the official media partner for Culture Night, but is throwing itself into the action and adventure of the evening of 19th September.

Among the 250 plus events taking place right across the city centre on Culture Night, people will get also get unprecedented access to the famous Royal Avenue headquarters of NI’s largest newspaper. In association with NI Film Hub, the Telegraph will be screening films – some classics and some surprises – next to their historic printing presses. Meanwhile, avid newshounds will be able to add their byline and picture to a range of front pages with “Headliners!” as Belfast Telegraph staff will be on hand to take your scoop and pic to project onto the Bel Tel Big Screen. The Belfast Telegraph has also been the source of unprecedented major media Leeks as they were among 20 local businesses and organisations to sponsor a vegetable bed for charity as part of the Culture Night Allotment scheme.

Culture Night Manager Adam Turkington said he was delighted to have the Telegraph on board for the biggest event in the city’s cultural calendar. “It makes sense for our biggest newspaper to be part of Culture Night Belfast. We’re especially delighted that they’re throwing themselves into the spirit of the thing with screenings and interactive activities that will draw people into that particular world. Culture Night is all about every single kind of creative expression in this city that defines us. And the Belfast Telegraph is of course one of the cornerstones of creative and cultural life in the city and across Northern Ireland.”