A City Belonging (active participation): Priorities under this theme will support citizens to be active agents of change and co-creators of cultural activity. In December 2021, Belfast City Council announced its plans for a new visitor attraction in Belfast city centre. This document brings together key information about the concept of the Belfast Stories visitor attraction. It is intended to give you enough of an understanding of our ideas so that you can: Participants also took part in workshops, which included breakout sessions on Belfast Stories. Barriers identified included costs, particularly for families. Consideration should be given to allowing people to bring their own food and drink. Engagement to date

People tend to engage less with culture and arts as they get older, and those aged 65 and over are least likely to engage. The decline continues as people reach 75 and older. A lot of research identifies older people as the demographic group where there is greatest inequality and that is most difficult to engage. However, there are also differential impacts depending on type of culture and activity (sports, arts, heritage, participation, attendance, and so on). According to DfC, in 2019/20 disabled people were less likely to engage in arts than people without disabilities (77 per cent compared to 90 per cent) or to visit a place of historic interest (47 per cent compared to 62 per cent). making sure that Belfast Stories is for everyone. This means making sure that the building is welcoming and accessible and everyone can see themselves reflected in its stories. During the public consultation we will do this in three main ways – by asking you to share your thoughts on our draft We share in Belfast City Council’s vision and collectively offer the insight and experience to create a space that will improve the vibrancy and aesthetic of this part of the city, but we also recognise how excellent architecture can deliver community benefits and have lasting cultural impact,” he said. The story of Belfast is complex, multi-faceted and compelling but, crucially, it is still being written Richard Williams, Northern Ireland ScreenBelfast Stories is at the stage of developing the design brief. During this stage Belfast City Council will explore how the design and content of Belfast Stories can help achieve its aims and objectives. The equity steering group will continue to run after June 2023, when it will co-design its new priorities, which might include, for example: We will start to test ways to gather stories based on what you have told us during the public consultation.

a range of tailored engagement tools from online surveys and quizzes to focus groups, creative workshops and hard-hat tours In this way, Belfast Stories has the potential to have a positive impact on equality of opportunity and good relations across all Section 75 categories.Putting You First: Transforming Customer Experiences also notes increasing challenges serving all customers due to language barriers and cultural differences. 6. Assessment of impacts Lord notes that “this is not an issue specific to Belfast or Northern Ireland, but rather a common issue across all cultural organisations around the globe. We also note that the organisations we have spoken to are well aware of these and are actively seeking to rebalance things.” Nevertheless, it continues that “The voices of stories that are collected [as part of Belfast Stories] should encompass inclusivity and equality in all audience groups”. Other relevant research Equality screening Belfast City Council’s tourism strategy 2022(link opens in new window) places authentic, local stories as key to attracting visitors to the city. It identifies Belfast Stories as a physical home for some of these stories and the flagship investment in product development in the city: From early 2023 we will be developing the design brief for the new visitor attraction. The design brief describes - in general terms - what we are trying to do, why, when and how much it will cost.