Ceramic Treasures Invite New Perspective on Belfast’s Forgotten Alleyways

An exciting research project designed to explore the untapped potential of Belfast’s urban alleyways and inspire new thinking on the use of our city’s forgotten spaces was unveiled at a special exhibition over the Autumn equinox.

9ft in Common – a city-wide endeavour stretching from the bustling neighbourhood of Ballyhackamore to the hilled streets of Ligoniel ­– is a transformative initiative that seeks to redefine the creative potential of Belfast’s network of alleyways.

The team behind the project unveiled Multitudes – The Exhibition, a two-day exhibition that presented a symbolic offering of 202 ceramic hag stones to honour Belfast’s 202km mapped network of alleyways, and the people and stories that populate them.

Created in Belfast by ceramicists, Claire and Karen Gibson of Red Earth Designs, the 202 unique ceramic hag stones were displayed in a two-day exhibition in the Banking Hall of the Belfast Stories Building on Royal Avenue.

Steeped in folklore, hag stones are stones with a naturally occurring hole, through which, it’s believed, people can see other realms of possibility. The exhibition encouraged people to see the creative potential of Belfast’s alleyways, and reconsider the possibilities lying just beyond our back gates.

Following the exhibition, the hag stones will now be hidden throughout the alleyways across Belfast, encouraging people to get out and explore these spaces, with the opportunity to find and keep one of the hidden ceramic treasures.

The Multitudes exhibition was part of 9ft in Common’s, ‘A Manifesto for the Alleys’ initiative, commissioned by Belfast 2024, as part of an ambitious programme to give people the opportunity to celebrate our city in new and exciting ways. The project is led and developed by Amberlea Neely of Starling Start and Aisling Rusk of Studio idir.

Speaking about the initiative, Amberlea Neely said: “Belfast’s alleyways offer a multitude of opportunities, and throughout the exhibition, we were able to inspire new thinking amongst members of the public regarding how these public spaces can be reimagined, and let them know about our upcoming city-wide treasure hunt.

“These beautiful 202 handcrafted ceramic hag stones, created by Red Earth Studio, lean into local folklore and invite people to consider a new future our city’s forgotten spaces.  

“With a little imagination, these spaces can become celebrations of our nature, stories, and identities, and as we head into the magical autumnal season, we hope to inspire visitors to imagine a brighter, greener future for our alley ways.”

9ft in Common wants locals to see what our alleys would look like if they became growing spaces, wildlife corridors, or an alternative means of travelling around the city. If used effectively, we could gain green space equivalent to over 76 football pitches, more than four Botanic Gardens, or pathways stretching more than 18 times the length of the Comber Greenway, providing much needed extra greenspace that could benefit the city’s biodiversity, growing potential and the resident’s mental health.

For further information, visit 9ftincommon.com or connect with the project on Instagram, at @9ftincommon - (Links open in new window)