2009 promises to be a year fraught with challenges. As financial worries grip society, it follows that those communities least able to cope with an economic downturn are likely to be hit the hardest. These are the communities that New Belfast serves. Although many may feel that art is perhaps a luxury in such increasingly difficult times, my reaction is that it is required all the more. We need ways to divert ourselves, look to new horizons, make statements about how we are living and offer new creative possibilities for employment. We also need to maintain the transformation within our local community.

Website: http://www.newbelfastarts.org/