A NEW visitor exhibition charting the history of Belfast from its founding to the present day will be unveiled to the public next week.
The permanent exhibition, which will open on Tuesday, is housed in the east wing of the city hall.
It is the result of a 'Memorabilia Project' agreed by Belfast City Council in 2015 to make use of the building's space and offer a "balanced reflection" of the city's past.
Visitors will be able to explore 16 rooms filled with images and artefacts that cover the beginnings of Belfast as a medieval hamlet at the mouth of the Farset River, to becoming an industrial powerhouse of the Victorian era.
Aspects of the city’s heritage that will be presented in the exhibition’s six ‘zones’ include the building of the world’s most famous ship, RMS Titanic; its role in the United Irish Rebellion of 1798 and its importance to the Orange Order.
An entire room will be given over to the city’s suffering during the Troubles, and the ‘Reflection Space’ will allow visitors to “quietly review the traumatic events” of this period.
Along with the heavy dose of history and politics, the exhibitions will take a look at lighter aspects of the city’s past and present, including the street games played by its young residents over the years, and even a room dedicated to the evolution of the famous Belfast accent and the many colloquialisms used by its talkative citizens.
In a statement Belfast City Council councillors explained why they were opening up more of the iconic building for the thousands who visit it every year.
“Belfast is a city with a rich and contested history – and the viewpoint of its people will often depend on individual experience, background and tradition. As a result, it is difficult to encapsulate its story in an agreed way that is acceptable to all," they said.
“So, when we decided to develop a city hall exhibition to reflect our past and present, enhance our tourism offering and increase the understanding of our citizens and visitors as to where we have come from - finding an agreed narrative was a major challenge we had to face.
“As political party leaders, we completely understood the importance of getting this right and we spent many hours deliberating and ensuring that all of our traditions and as many aspects of our history were recognised as part of the story."
The exhibition, which will not have an admission charge, will not remain “static” and will evolve to feature significant changes faced by the city in the years ahead.
“We will have a refreshment policy that allows forthcoming anniversaries, commemorations and achievements to be recognised and other developments to be reflected as they all contribute to the story of the city,” the party leaders added.
