THE 4 Corners Festival in its 13th year invited us to contemplate 'Home'.

Dr Lorna Gold is in charge of the 'Laudato Si' movement, set up to "inspire and mobilise the Catholic community to care for our common home and achieve climate and ecological justice, in collaboration with all people of goodwill." She spoke of how we have developed systems that are blind to our limits, that we have forgotten we are on a shared planet. She invited us to see the Earth as home so we can all fall in love with our beautiful planet and she invited us to to think of ourselves as brothers and sisters. She spoke of Scotland having a 'wellbeing economy framework' that focuses not just on economic wealth.

Siobhan Carrigan, Loyola Professor of Theology at Trinity College and RTÉ presenter, spoke to a packed St Comgall's on Divis Street about the word Home. She spoke of many interfaith approaches to homelessness and of the 1.6 billion people expected to be displaced in the coming years by climate change alone. She spoke of the need to move away from the sentiment 'I belong but I'm not sure you do' and of developing a  feeling of 'having enough'.

Part of the magic of the 4 Corners Festival is the conversations you have afterwards and in between. At the night in St Comgall's I was speaking to a Scottish man who has made Belfast his home. He had taken three buses from Castlereagh to get there and in assuring him he could get the Glider back across the city, we were reminded that our city's transport system is still not understood by many. He was not sure why he was there, but somehow he was drawn to it.

Heidi and Peter Gardner and their Peacemakers' Loom were installed in 2 Royal Avenue and acted as a focal point during the festival – the city of Belfast created 92 meters of French knitting on their traditional machine. The couple spoke on the last night about their experience, saying they had thought long and hard after Russia invaded Ukraine of how to bring connection and peace to people. They came up with the idea of having their loom by an open door, giving people the excuse to to stop and talk, to use their hands as they joined them on a journey of circles, telling stories and sharing insights. Initially they thought Belfast would be different, "but people are people everywhere", their history is important and complete strangers will tell you their stories. One woman said: "There are troubles here but people all over the world are troubled – we are not the only place to have troubles."

There was a girl who came up from Dublin for the experience, saying that 2 Royal Avenue, Belfast City Council's community space on Royal Avenue, is the living room of the city.

There was a girl who came up from Dublin for the experience, saying that 2 Royal Avenue, Belfast City Council's community space on Royal Avenue, is the living room of the city, and that certainly has been my experience.

The Wonderful Wander from St Anne's Cathedral to Girdwood Hub touched on the changing demographics and the cultural, political and religious changes in the city. I learnt many titbits, such as the King William statue on Clifton Street Orange Hall weighing two tonnes and being the only equestrian statue in Ireland of King Billy mounted.

The walk was punctuated by poems and at one point even a rendition of When Irish Eyes Are Smiling. But the David Campton poem, 'We Walk Through History', particularly resonated with me.

We walk through history,

Sometimes aware,

But frequently oblivious,

Absorbed in our own story,

Without recognising how

That is shaped by forgotten

People and places

From different corners

Of this city and this world.

Perhaps before we come

To the end of our wander

Through this world

We should stop,

Reflect, and remember

All those who have walked 

With us, and before us,

On theme changing

Challenging streets.

At each event people were invited to raise their hands to show where in the city they were from. Each time there was a geographical spread, but I thought that this year there were more people from outside the city attending. Maybe word has got out that Fr Martin Magill, Rev Steve Stockman, Superintendent David Campton and all the team have something very compelling to offer.