DRIFT was a project for Belfast’s River Lagan commissioned by Belfast 2024. A collaboration between OGU, MMAS and sound artist Matilde Meireles, DRIFT hosted a series of listening sessions and related events in August and September 2024.

The pavilion was open daily as a floating public space for the city to use.

DRIFT was designed to be adaptable to a multitude of different site conditions along the river. Starting at its first location at Stranmillis Weir in South Belfast, DRIFT was then partially dismantled and towed downstream to be reassembled in a different form at its second location in the city centre.

PROGRAMME

Location #1 Stranmillis Weir

Friday 30/08/2024 6pm Drift Listening Session and Launch:

DRIFT Collective's sound artist, Matilde Meireles, will take you on a sonic drift with the sounds of the river and its surroundings, from underwater life to atmospheric phenomena, electromagnetic interference and the many vibrating metal surfaces that fence the river.

This special event will kick off with a conversation about the river featuring Rachel O'Grady (DRIFT Collective), Andy Bridge (Lagan Valley Regional Park), Jane Morrow (PS2) and Conor Mckinney (Wild Belfast).

Saturday 31/08/2024 2pm Drift x Ormeau Community Cinema - Floating Films: Song of the Sea

Our first Floating Film is Song of the Sea; which tells the story of Ben, a young Irish boy, and his little sister Saoirse, a girl who can turn into a seal, who go on an adventure to free the fairies and save the spirit world.

Saturday 31/08/2024 8.30pm Bats along the Lagan

You are invited to Drift to discover the secret world of bats with the Lagan Valley Regional Park ranger service. Enjoy a short presentation from Dan Clarke, Senior Ranger, about our island's only flying mammal before learning how to use bat detectors to discover the species which we hope may reveal themselves to us during the evening.

Sunday 01/09/2024 2pm Drift Listening Session and extended Installation

Drifting and drawing: sketching materials will be available for guests during this Listening Session if they wish to draw while they listen to the work.

Sunday 01/09/2024 4pm Drift x Moving on Music: GRÁINNE MEYER + MÚLÚ (TURN YOUR CHAIR)

Country Antrim based composer, harpist and pianist Gráinne Meyer is the most recent winner of the World Music Competition following performances at Wales International Harp Festival 2023. Gráinne performs classical and Irish traditional music, and has played as guest harpist with the Ulster Orchestra. As a traditional musician, Gráinne has won multiple All Ireland and Ulster medals

MÚLÚ (Miadhachlughain O’Donnell) is a singer and multi-instrumentalist from Castlewellan, Co. Down. She is a member of Biird, Afro Celt Sound System, and Huartan, alongside her solo work. Her family, the McSherrys, have a history in Irish traditional music dating back to the 1980s. Her mother Tíona McSherry (flute, vocal), uncles John (uilleann pipes) and Paul (guitar) and auntie Jo (fiddle) recorded and toured internationally as Tamalin into the mid-90s.

Saturday 31/08/2024 - Sunday 15/09/2024 DRIFT is open to the public between 10am and 6pm (unless one of the ticketed events below is taking place). Come and enjoy the installation which includes the opportunity to listen to a sonic work created especially for DRIFT by artist Matilde Meireles.

Monday 09/09/2024 2pm Mindfulness Session on DRIFT:

Book your place for a mindfulness session on DRIFT Space, a floating pavilion on the River Lagan. This session will be led by Tin Chan from the Stronger Together Network / Chinese Welfare Association.

Thursday 12/09/2024 6pm DRIFT Listening Session

This special event will kick off with a conversation about the river featuring the DRIFT team and invited guests with a unique perspective on the River Lagan.

Friday 13/09/2024 5pm Lagan, Land and Water. Past, Present and Future.

A talk and discussion with Ian Montgomery, Prof Emeritus in Animal Ecology, affiliation Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast.

This talk will deal with the history of the Lagan catchment from the Last Glacial Maximum to the present, identifying the pressures on the river arising from current land use, and how a more holistic approach to development, agriculture and how we use the Lagan catchment is required to address these issues. An introductory talk of 20-25 minutes will be followed by an open discussion based on the questions which Government, politicians and vested interests ignore..

Friday 13/09/2024 8pm Drift x Ormeau Community Cinema - Floating Films: The Peanut Butter Falcon

Our second Floating Film is The Peanut Butter Falcon; the film is about a man with down syndrome who runs away from a residential nursing home to pursue his dream of becoming a wrestler. Later, he meets with an outlaw who becomes his friend and coach.

Saturday 14/09/2024 11am Make a Kinetic Mobile | DRIFT x Flax Art Studios

Taking inspiration from the river and nature around the Drift site, you will create a mobile using natural materials. In this workshop, we’ll consider the elements that make a mobile come together as a harmonious whole: colour, shape, size, movement and space. We’ll guide you through as you assemble your mobile, you’ll be testing the position of the pieces, adjusting the overall height, fine-tuning each piece’s rotation, so that your mobile comes together as a balanced, moving sculpture.

Designed to be a fun and experimental session, you’ll take home your own completed mobile.

Tutors: Louise French and Martin Boyle

This workshop is facilitated by Flax Art Studios, is open to everyone, no prior experience is required, and all materials are provided.

Saturday 14/09/2024 evening Stargazing and Discussion with Aisling O’Beirn (Right to the Night)

Sunday 15/09/2024 10.15am Make a plaster wall hanging | Learn about plants along the Lagan (DRIFT x Forage Ireland x Flax Art Studios)

A collaboration with Flax Art Studios and Forage Ireland: Press wild flowers to create a wall hanging. Learn about the Lagan's plants.

Utilising the bounty of Summer around the DRIFT site, you will press wild flowers, grasses and foliage, gather into a clay slab mould then cast the imprint in plaster.

You will have the opportunity to learn about the process, make test pieces and take what you have learned to make your final wall hanging reliefs.

Tutor: Stephanie Tanney

The workshop starts with a session led by Forage Ireland's Dermot Hughes where participants can learn about the plants that grow along the river's edge before they choose the leaves and flowers for their plaster wall hanging.

The plaster wall hanging workshop is facilitated by Flax Art Studios, is open to everyone, no prior experience is required, and all materials are provided.

Sunday 15/09/2024 2pm Drift Listening Session and Extended Installation

Drifting and drawing: sketching materials will be available for guests during this Listening Session if they wish to draw while they listen to the work.

Sunday 15/09/2024 4pm Drift x Moving on Music: STEVE DAVIS & PAUL STAPLETON (PLAY THE SPACE)

Belfast-based drummer Stephen Davis mainly plays jazz and improvised music. He is the drummer in Anthony Braxton group ‘The New Standard’, and active in the UK and European improvised/creative music scenes. He has worked with Mark Ribot, Evan Parker, Ralph Alessi, Kris Davis, Alexander Hawkins, John Taylor, Rufus Reid, Paul Dunmall, Django Bates, Van Morrison, Matthew and many others.

Paul Stapleton is an improviser and sound artist originally from Southern California. He designs and performs with a variety of modular metallic sound sculptures, custom made electronics and found objects. Paul is currently Professor of Music at SARC in Belfast, where he teaches and supervises research in new musical instrument design, music performance, sound design and critical improvisation studies.

Location #2 Waterfront Hall

Sunday 22/09/2024 4pm Drift x Moving on Music: REBECCA MURPHY & RICHARD ALLEN (OUTSIDE, IN)

Northern Irish Soprano, Rebecca Murphy, hailed by Opera Journal for her ‘stunning delivery’, is making waves across the UK and Europe on both the concert and operatic platforms. She was a member of the Internationales Opernstudio at Oper Köln from 2020-22, and previously was a member of the Northern Ireland Opera Studio (2018-19). She is also a regular guest with the Ulster Orchestra and the Belfast Ensemble. Rebecca is the recipient of the Arts Council Northern Ireland Young Musicians Platform Award (2022).

Rebecca will be joined by award winning Belfast harpist, Richard Allen. His playing is often noted for its palette of shades and colours, and a depth of expression that is rarely heard on the instrument.

Sunday 22/09/2024 6pm Maggie McKeever Yoga X DRIFT

A u t u m n E q u i n o x W o r k s h o p

Join Maggie on DRIFT to mark Autumn Equinox, a rare time of year when day and night are of equal length. The wisdom of this season invites us to dance with polarities as we transition deeper into Autumn. This workshop invites us into relationship with the River Lagan connecting to the water element as we prepare to transition into the more Yin half of the year.

This workshop will offer practices connecting to the energy of Autumn Equinox;

Meditative river walk
Gentle movement & rest practices
Celtic Wisdom & ritual
Gathering in community
Creating an Autumn Equinox altar

Monday 23/09/2024 10.30am DRIFT x Forage Ireland

Learn about the plants that grow along the Lagan with Forage Ireland's Dermot Hughes.

What plants can we find on our walk around the DRIFT site? What plants are missing and why? Join Dermot Hughes on an informative plant identification walk along the Lagan.

Originally set up by Mary and Dermot Hughes from Belfast, Northern Ireland, Forage Ireland aimed to inspire and enable people to live better lives in tune with nature and the earth. We’d been around a bit, so we felt we’d got something to give and in turn tried to bestow some of our values on our children.

Tuesday 24/09/2024 11am-12noon Closed for private session

Tuesday 24/09/2024 7pm Drift x Ormeau Community Cinema - Floating Films: Creature from the Black Lagoon

When a team of experts venture into the Amazon forest to research fossils, they find themselves at Black Lagoon. Upon entering the water body, they capture the attention of an unknown beast.

Thursday 26/09/2024 12noon-3.30pm Closed for private session

Thursday 26/09/2024 6pm PS2 x DRIFT

In conversation: Paddy Bloomer and Dan Shipsides with Garrett Carr

Friday 27/09/2024 6pm DRIFT Listening Session (Closing Event)

This special event will kick off with a conversation about the river featuring the DRIFT team and invited guests with a unique perspective on the River Lagan

DRIFT \ Lagan

DRIFT was a project for Belfast’s river Lagan commissioned by Belfast 2024. A collaboration between OGU, MMAS and sonic artist Matilde Meireles, DRIFT hosted a series of listening sessions and related events in August and September 2024.

Aiming to refocus attention on Belfast's relationship with the river Lagan, DRIFT investigated the city's disconnected and utilitarian approach to its waterfront, drawing out the complexity of exchanges between people and the waterway. At the heart of the project was a pavilion designed to be a floating "instrument” that drew attention to the river in new ways by enhancing the multisensory experience of being on the water. Highlighting existing dependencies between the river ecosystem and urban life (recognised points of human interference), it was hoped that by sparking people’s curiosity and interest in the Lagan, the project could start a transformative public conversation about the pros and cons of a more accessible river that embraces a series of valuable public spaces.

Commissioned by Belfast 2024 (Belfast City Council)
https://linktr.ee/drift.lagan

DRIFT envisions a citywide discussion about the potential for more wildlife-friendly urban spaces to be made available to the city along the Lagan’s edge. The pavilion is designed to be an "instrument" that can facilitate the examination of existing and possible relationships between people and water, catalysing public discourse by revealing and mapping places with the potential to form more significant physical connections to the river. The project will provide a lasting legacy for policymakers through the knowledge it collects and tests. DRIFT aims to leave knowledge in place, drawing attention to the potential of the river’s edge to nearby residents and visitors.

The result will be a floating, adaptable architecture with space to hold conversations. The architecture will seek to focus on the sensory - and particularly the sonic - experience of being on the river at points where it intersects with human-made processes, engaging with the river’s historical significance and cultural identity. Working with people and communities along the river, DRIFT will respond to sites where a new relationship between urban life and waterway can be initiated.

Getting Involved

Are you a river expert or enthusiast? Does the river Lagan play an important role in your life?

Although the pavilion is currently off the water, the DRIFT project has only just begun. Follow us for updates and please get in touch with feedback on your experience of DRIFT if you came to visit.

Drawing, Mapping, Recording the River

An important facet of the DRIFT project was the recording process. This takes multiple forms including sonic mapping and survey drawings of the project locations before and during their visit from DRIFT.

Giving careful attention to the multisensory qualities of the river was central to the DRIFT methodology: therefore, finding ways to record aspects of the river that are usually unseen was a key objective.

DRIFT \ Lagan

Client + Collaborators

Links and Social Media

Getting Involved

Drawing, Mapping, Recording the River

2 Royal Avenue