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First Living Mural unveiled at Cliftonville FC as part of Safari in the City
As part of Belfast 2024, Wild Belfast are delivering a series of living murals through the 'Safari in the City' project across the Belfast City Council area. The initiative combines art and wildlife conservation aiming to raise awareness and inspire action.
We hear from the team about what was involved in making the first living mural at Cliftonville Football Club.
The Ecology
With this Mural, we wanted to show how the amber listed 'house martin' can be conserved, through the installation of nest cups that every home and business can erect.
These birds have been seen foraging around the Waterworks area, and knowing there has been almost a 40% decline in their population since 1995 across the UK, we wanted to raise awareness on how small interventions on a neighbourhood level can make a big difference in supporting the house martin.
These birds typically built their mud nests on cliff faces and have adapted their nesting sites under our traditional wooden eaves and rough wall surfaces. But the use of PVC eaves in recent modern constructions poses a significant threat to house martins, struggling to find safe places to breed.
Photo: House Martin natural mud nest on wooden eaves photographed near the Waterworks.
The installation of house martin boxes that mimic their natural mud nests is one easy way to address this and help give these birds a home.
Within our mural we have installed 8 house martin boxes on the North East facing wall of the McAlery Stand at Solitude; a crucial orientation to avoid the overheating of the nests.
Photo: House Martin boxes on Solitude Stadium.
The Community
During the artistic ecological workshop with Cliftonville FC members, stories of the club's historical heritage and its future aspirations working towards sustainability were shared with Wild Belfast ecologists and the mural artist.
Throughout these discussions, the club members were able to deepen their connection to the natural environment surrounding the football club and express the artistic messages they want to convey.
The key ideas shared that inspired the design of the mural:
- Aspirations of the club towards a sustainable future, and the larger than life role it has had on football in Ireland.
- Highlighting the women's team and the female representation of growth, nature and nurture.
- A representation of the surrounding waters and mountains elements.
- Building and fostering strong communities.
- The inclusion of the club's colours and symbols.
Photo: Initial concept sketches of the mural design by Daniela Balmaverde.
The Art
Daniela Balmaverde, an Italian-Belfast based artist, is behind the Cliftonville mural artwork.
The mural design combines the dynamic energy of the sport with the vibrant beauty of our natural world, symbolising the strength of partnership between different sectors in conserving wildlife.
In the foreground, a female portraying the club's women's team releases a house martin blending movements of the sport with the birds' flight pattern.
The background features the lush surrounding natural landscape of the Waterworks and Cave Hill, merged with the Cliftonville teams' colors, illustrating the connection between club, community and the environment around it.
With the mural’s flowing lines and bold colors, Daniela wanted to emphasise the role we can all play in protecting the environment and empowering women in sports.
Photo: Daniela Balmaverde, at the early stages of painting the mural.
Photo: Colour palette.
Photo: Daniela Balmaverde, adding the final details!
Photo: Mural view from the Waterworks park.
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