SOUND OF BELFAST: MEET THE WOMEN BEHIND BELFAST’S VIBRANT MUSIC SCENE
In November, VOCAL GIRLS were invited to visit Belfast to get a taste of their music scene. During our time there we got to attend some of the panels and events that were happening in aid of Sound of Belfast, the annual music festival which takes place throughout the city. While exploring, we caught up with some of the inspiring women working behind the scenes to keep Belfast’s scene thriving. Meet changemakers Holly, Charlene and Nikki below.
Meet: Holly Lester - DJ, Producer, Record Label owner (Duality Traz / Terrazzo)
What do you love about the Belfast music scene?
I think the most exciting thing about the Belfast music scene is the creatives within it. For such a small country with lots of hurdles in the creative and nightlife industries, we have an exceeding amount of world class talent.
What do you see as being the main hurdles and barriers you face yourself?
The main sort of barriers that I come up against is the fact that we have very few venues, and even fewer venues that cater to my genre [electronic music]. We are also operating at an extremely limited time at night - so in other words, we have really early closing times. These are just a few of the things that create less opportunity for creatives and artists and are some of the big reasons why people leave this country and choose to live elsewhere. This is something that I’m currently advocating against through my organisation Free the Night, which I co-founded.
How can we help retain artists in Belfast?
This is a real structural problem – the infrastructure for the artists just doesn't exist. There are a lot of legislative changes that we need in order to make it suitable for artists to come and stay, and actually want to live here. I think it's possible, but it's going to be a long journey. But I hope in the next five years, we can make a dent in this and see some changes.
What can the rest of the UK do to support the Belfast music scene?
Continued support and sharing of data and resources. It could even come to a point where we need to make decisions for the central government because we have no government at the moment, and we don't know when it's going to form again. There's a possibility that England might actually need to help us in a much larger way than we previously imagined.
It seems like there’s a really strong community of women here in the Belfast music scene, do you feel supported by that?
Yes, absolutely. One of the reasons that I've actually enjoyed moving home so much is because I have been welcomed with open arms by so many people who aren't even necessarily into electronic music. It's very supportive and tight knit. That gives me hope for the future because we can facilitate some real change together.
Meet: Charlene Hegarty - Talent Development Manager at the Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast / Co-ordinator behind Sound of Belfast
*What is Oh Yeah?: “At Oh Yeah our mantra is an open door to music, which means giving accessible, affordable support structures to musicians.”
What do you love about the Belfast music scene?
I moved to Belfast in 2005 because of the music scene. There’s all kinds of genres doing different things, seven nights a week. This has a lot to do with grassroots promoters and venues working really hard in difficult conditions to make sure that there's opportunity here. As a music fan, that keeps it really exciting for me. I think we've got a really great community of musicians here who lift each other up and look after each other.
What would improve the Belfast scene?
It can be really, really hard for musicians and venues like the Oh Yeah Music Centre to just keep doing what they're doing. There's always the risk of developers coming in and buying out areas of the city. And that's happening, but it's being challenged by the creative community.
In terms of improving the scene, during Covid, there also was a bit more investment in the arts which created an amazing ecosystem. This meant artists who were receiving funding from Arts Councils etc., were better mobilised to write, and then pass on some of that income to other creatives (like artists designing artwork for releases). That’s something that worked really well. We definitely need a bit more trust in the creative space, and more value placed on what artists bring.
Why do you think Belfast suffers from a drainage of creatives?
One of the reasons is university education. Most students have to go to other cities like Liverpool, London, Manchester, or Dublin to do music business education courses.
And once they go there, they tend not to come back, or they do come back at a much later time. This means that while we have lots of amazing creatives, there's a shortage of management structure. While there's been improvement, there's still more demand for managers and creative entrepreneurs than there are active here in Belfast. So I think our educators need to look at that and make [music business education] more accessible and affordable.
Also, prices are rising, rent has gone up, everything's gone up. Accessing affordable spaces is really quite difficult, especially in the city centre. Musicians and creatives in the city are struggling to find those spots. That's something that Oh Yeah, Music Centre tries to offer, but we're at our limits. We've been asking and protesting for that, and it's just not being heard.
Why is it so important that we shine the light on Belfast’s music scene?
I believe the music scene in Belfast deserves attention on a UK wide basis. I think artists in Belfast have got their own voice and their own point of uniqueness.
We've got our own story over here where it's a post civil conflict society. I think what we're talking and singing about is our own - and that makes us really quite unique.
For Northern Irish artists trying to interact with the UK market, there’s more difficulty. There's the big and beautiful Irish Sea to conquer, which makes it harder to physically bring your music to people. I think having more support from the rest of the UK and more people taking the time to come and visit us in Belfast would help. Belfast is amazing, you'll feel the warmth as soon as you arrive!
Meet: Nikki MacRae - Music Officer for Belfast City Council and co-founder of Soft Gut Song Camp
What do you love about the Belfast music scene?
What I love most is that we have a city full of people who are forever coming up with ideas that can benefit those around them - and then they just go for it and make it happen! We have a super driven, DIY community that is in this period of amazing development, and it’s not showing any signs of slowing down. I think we're at a very important point in our music scene here.
What would help to improve the music scene in Belfast?
On a more grassroots level, it would be useful to foster a better level of support and skill sharing with each other. There's a competitiveness that can lead to cards being held quite close, but we are at a point where we could be doing more to help each other, and to feel encouraged by the successes of those around us. We also need better care across the sector. No more gigs for exposure, no more creeps, improved safety for women and members of the LGBTQIA community. And generally, a greater uplift to the perception of the value of music as a whole would go a long way!
Why do you think Belfast suffers from a drainage of creatives and how can we stop that?
Historically, there has been a feeling within the creative sector that to achieve any great measure of success, you have to eventually leave Northern Ireland. So it is partly a matter of perception, but it's also that we have an infrastructure that needs development in order for it to be fully nurturing and inclusive.
As a sector, we do need to begin addressing and assessing those needs. I know this is starting to already happen, via projects such as Free The Night and Night Time Economy research. The wheels are in motion to fill the gaps and I feel very positive about us moving towards better artist retention.
What is the council in Belfast doing to improve opportunities for creatives in the city?
The first major step was taken when the council worked with city stakeholders to apply for, and successfully receive, UNESCO City of Music status. It has helped us to stress the importance and the value of our music sector, both culturally and economically – and the need to support it. We are now working on an implementation plan for developing and strengthening loads of different facets of the industry here, such as the live scene, business development, education, national and international opportunities, better accessibility, and more spaces for creatives to work.
There’s a lot of very exciting things happening in the background. The most heartening aspect is that all of these plans are being put together in collaboration with the community – and they're being driven by people who actively work in music. My team and I are going to work so hard to do right by the creatives in the city because we genuinely care. And I think the next couple of years in Belfast are going to be really, really exciting.