9ft in Common

We had some IDEAS! A collection of creative responses to opportunities and problems that we have encountered in alleyways. Check out the IDEAS page which is now live on our website and let us know what you think. Illustrations are by @aisling_e_madden #ideas #alley #entry #liminalspaces #designconcepts

A MANIFESTO FOR THE ALLEYS 9 calls to action for residents and decision makers. Throughout our Belfast 2024 Comission 9ft in Common has gathered intentions and hopes for the alleys from a wide range of participants and collaborators. We’ve documented the spaces and how people respond to them in a variety of ways including photography, film, journal reflections and conversations. This research has influenced the 9 key points of the manifesto document. Designed by Soft Fiction Projects. This is just the beginning. #manifesto #urbanmanifesto #creativeplacemaking @belfast2024 @softfictionprojects @starlingstart @studioidir @champagne_clouds._ @avarkitecture

Introducing the Belfast Alley Map. You can find it on the website alongside a digital version which you can use to explore Belfast’s alleys or entries. Let us know what you think! Theres also a limited amount of big prints for sale if that’s your thing. #belfast #alley #entry #mapping #urbaninvestigation

9ft in Common’s research, mapping and creative programming (supported by Belfast City Council and Belfast 24) has helped shape the first phase of Belfast City Council’s Bloomberg Challenge application, which could bring significant investment for the city’s alleyways. Our research (including a structured baseline study of these spaces) revealed that 7% of Belfast’s alleys are already thriving as social spaces, with neighbours working together to create beautiful gardens, hangouts, and community hubs. Through our creative programme, we were proud to support some of these projects via participatory budgeting (with Community Garden Support) and creative commissions with artists and residents. But what about the other 93% of alleyways? We see huge potential there! Please take a few minutes to fill in the short survey or attend one of the events in your area - and help shape the future of Belfast’s alleyways. /alleyways-transformation @belfastcitycouncil @culturebelfast @communitygardensupport #alleyways #alleywaytransformation 📷@photosbysi

Fabrication - ‘Under the Shelter of Each Other/ Ar Scáth a Chéile’ We couldn’t have had a better delivery partner than Workforce. After just one meeting with the winning designers, their master joiner and young trainees impressively fabricated The Shed in their workshops, faithfully to the original design, and installed it in Iris Alley, which also happens to be out the back of their building! 📷 Paul Boyle @workforce_training_services #belfastentries #alleys #9ftincommon #alleyshelter #shelterdesign #cleverdesign #smallspaces #communitygrowing #apprenticejoiner #pilotideas #communitygrowing #irisalley #westbelfast #northernirelandarchitecture #designcompetition #creativecollaboration #rsua

Installation - ‘Under the Shelter of Each Other/ Ar Scáth a Chéile’  The winning design was ‘The Shed: Gather and Grow’ by Jennifer Speirs, Adrienne Campbell and William Brady.  The lucky shelter is now at home in Iris Alley, where residents have been working tirelessly to transform their alley into a wonderful community asset (part of a wider, long-standing, grass roots neighbourhood initiative in the area, in which residents are supporting each other to make lasting change). Paula and Debbie, the dynamic duo of residents behind the transformation in Iris Alley, invited their neighbours and everyone who helped them transform their alley and build the shelter, for a fantastic celebration in June to recognise their hard work and thank everyone who contributed.   It was great to see the shelter in situ. We were delighted to see how it worked as a multipurpose space and even trialled a nappy change with the youngest member of our team, baby Eloise!! A huge thanks to all who helped make this happen including: Iris Alley, Three Sisters Growing, Workforce, JP Corry, RSUA, Belfast City Council, and the fabulous designers Jennifer, Adrienne and William. 📸 by @photosbysi @architecturenorthernireland @workforce_training_services @culturebelfast @belfastcitycouncil @jpcorry_ireland @studioidir @starlingstart

Design Competition - ‘Under the Shelter of Each Other/ Ar Scáth a Chéile’  As part of our Belfast 24 commission by Belfast City Council - A Manifesto for the Alleys, we initiated a series of creative interventions responding to Belfast’s alleyways with their residents.  This one was a design competition in collaboration with Iris Alley residents, Royal Society of Ulster Architects and JP Corry. The competition challenged designers, makers and anyone with an idea, to put forward designs for a small shelter, for two people, in a Belfast alleyway.   We stipulated that the shelters should be wall-mounted and collapsible, to not block through traffic. While designed specifically for Iris Alley, the concepts should be transferable to other alleys and walls across the city and beyond. Submissions were to be presented as a ‘how to’ with instructions on how to build the shelter, and costed list of materials from JP Corry that would allow the submissions to be replicated by others, in other alleyways.  Here’s a look at all of the proposed designs… ⚪️ The Shed: Gather and Grow by Jennifer Speirs, Adrienne Campbell and William Brady (winner) ⚪️ Stick around and laugh a while by Ian Pitt (runner up) ⚪️ The Ciliary Device by Joel Jamieson and Scott Kennedy (shortlisted) ⚪️ ​​Lunar Phase by Ben Weir (shortlisted) ⚪️ Under the Shelter by Jordan Beattie (shortlisted) ⚪️ A-Lign by Olivia Begley, Shannon Murphy, and Mane Grigoryan ⚪️ Urban Lounge by Rachel Murphy ⚪️ Iris Alley Shelter by Emmett Heron ⚪️ The Accordion Shelter by Jake Lebel ⚪️ The Hinges by Annie Haughey and Ben Murray ⚪️ Echoing Mementos by Micheal Murphy and Adela Vagova @architecturenorthernireland @jpcorry_ireland @belfastcitycouncil @culturebelfast @studioidir @starlingstart

Today neighbours gathered in Rainbow alley for a moment of appreciation for their gorgeous new installation - a corner mirror! There was Buck’s Fizz and everything! Jo at rainbow alley got in touch back in early 2024 to say they would love to trial our idea of installing a mirror on the corner of the alley to help people see what’s around the corner and feel more safe. We asked Jonathan Brennan to design an etching for the unbreakable (🤞) mirror, depicting bunting and flowers and tyre planters, all as found in the alley itself. Chris Campbell-Palmer from Vault built a great corner planter for it to be fixed to, and Jo filled it with lovely early spring flowers. As it says on a wall along the alley, and now on the mirror itself… People who sow together grow together. Beautiful. Cheers folks! 🥂 @rainbowalley22 @artyjosie @jonathan_brennan_art @briansmythgpni @c_c_p____

Some jobs for Winter, including making leaf mould! 🍂 😊 #leafmould #wintergardening #gardenjobs #raisedbeds #gardenplanning #organicfarm #femalefarmer #belfastireland #organicgrowing #organicvegetables #laurelbankfarm #communitysupportedagriculture #csauk

Thanks to everyone who joined us to launch A Manifesto for the Alleys in December 2024! You can read our full reflection website journal. Expect sexy bins, strong stats, a lot of fairy lights, and a big storm. During our fieldwork and mapping research (as part of the Allez Alley programme), we discovered that 7% of Belfast’s alleyways already show signs of growing projects or social interaction. Kudos to the amazing activists across the city, who are making their neighbourhoods better places to be. The manifesto envisions the untapped potential of the remaining 93% - asking Belfast; if we adopt the Manifesto and occupy the alleys, what new spaces, friends and connections will we find along the way? We concluded The Manifesto launch, fittingly, with a visit to an alley, the spaces which we are passionate about, where we’ve done our best thinking, and have had some truly magical moments across the years. #manifesto #creativeplaces #creativeplacemaking #placemaking #alleys #alleyways @joelavertyphotography @laurelbankfarm @champagne_clouds._ @studioidir @starlingstart @avarkitecture @phinharper @phillipmccrilly @heritagefunduk @ulstermuseum @joshuaburnside @photosbysi @sdcreateco @softfictionprojects

We asked artist Martin Boyle of @lazy_8_ to investigate sustainable options for outdoor alley lighting, taking a maker–led approach to design and function. Martin investigated a range of possibilities and designs using both acrylic and jesmonite casts for LED lights. Martin gave consideration as to how the lights would look during the day as well as lit up at night. With sculptural qualities, their vibrant contrasting colours stand out in the alley. The 4 lights with different colour combinations have been installed as test pieces in Greenore Street Alley @projectbt6 and the results are just beautiful! You can read more about the process on our journal. This was part of our @belfast2024 - A Manifesto for the Alleys. Pics by Martin Boyle. #creativeplaces #creativeplacemaking

A Manifesto for the Alleys with Soft Fiction Projects We wanted The Manifesto design and print process to align with 9ft in Common, so we invited @softfictionprojects to bring the words to life 🙌🏻 They will produce a limited edition A3 print that attendees of the Manifesto Launch and contributors to the programme this year will receive. Quick, snap up those final few tickets… or keep an eye on social media as we will also release a digital copy. Soft Fiction Projects is an artist run initiative founded in 2018 by artists Alessia Cargnelli and Emily McFarland. Soft Fiction Projects is based in Northern Ireland and it is dedicated to produce digital and printed matter on film and artist moving image culture. The printed project acts as a forum for presenting new collaborations, artworks, research and writing from invited artists and contributors. Revisiting recent history in moving image practices, Soft Fiction Projects research focus is an exploration of underrepresented voices, oppositional histories, geopolitical narratives underpinned by intersectional feminist perspectives which challenge and reframe dominant hegemonic power structures. A Manifesto for the Alleys is a commission by @belfast2024 and it is supported by @heritagefunduk