Titanic Belfast Festival 2012
April and May 2012
Born in Belfast, built by Belfast and imagined by Belfast – there’s only one place the Titanic could really have celebrated its 100-year anniversary. The Titanic’s footprint runs pretty deep in the city; from the shipyard’s hulking gantry cranes Samson and Goliath, to the slipway where MTV played a rollicking one-off concert and a poignant memorial by the side of Belfast City Hall. The shiny cherry on top is Titanic Belfast which is now open to the public! Add theatre, insight-loaded tours and a raft of family-friendly events and they have had the most all- encompassing Titanic Festival, well, anywhere.
Titanic Visitor Experience
When the brand new Titanic Belfast experience opened its doors on March 31st, it was be the largest Titanic attraction in the world (and arguably the most impressive). Wrapped in glittering aluminium, the edifice is designed to mimic the hulls of four ships and if what’s outside impresses then what’s inside may well blow your mind. The complex boasts state-of-the-art multimedia installations, a walk through the entire build and even a ride through a reconstructed shipyard. And to commemorate the night of the sinking, a Virtual Choir installation was held there 100 years to the minute after the Titanic struck that iceberg on April 14th.
Titanic Theatre
Towards the end of April, award-winning playwright Owen McCafferty will debut Titanic: Scenes from the British Wreck Commissioner’s Inquiry 1912 at The Metropolitan Arts Centre. Based on the gripping testimonies heard at the inquiry, the show promises to bring drama by the hull full. Illustrating the tension of the courtroom, it highlights the instances of bravery, loss, terror and human frailty that were witnessed in the ship’s final hours. A whole festival is being held for Titanic theatre-goers. The Titanic Creative Arts Festival begins on March 22nd and culminates in the Requiem for the Lost Souls of the Titanic at St. Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast. As the final event on April 15th, almost 200 musicians and several composers will be taking part.
A party 100 years in the making
Every star needs a spotlight and Titanic Belfast is no different. Seeing as this is a rather special commemoration, the new centre will be bathed in what promises to be a spine-tingling light show on April 7th 2012. MTV will be in town on the 13th, and in the very slipway from where Titanic was launched, it will rock the dock with some stellar tunes. If it’s anything like the party they brought for the EMAs, we’d warn the babysitter it’ll be a late one. Finally, a glamorous gala will be held at the ever-elegant Waterfront Hall where the Titanic story will be narrated by Northern Ireland’s acting icons. Have those glad rags ready – you, and the babysitter, have been warned!
