A NEW immersive exhibition spearheaded by a North Belfast artist explores the lives and the hopes of young people.
Outpouring is a takeover of Riddel’s Warehouse in the centre of Belfast by artist Joe Caslin, co-created with over 120 young people from across the city.
At the centre of the Outpouring installation is a large-scale artwork created in Caslin’s signature style, stretching the full height of the building’s four-storey atrium. Encompassing it on both sides is a collection of visual art and written responses developed by young people during a six-month cross-community engagement programme grounded in a simple but important question: “Tell us what we need to hear.”
A specially developed augmented reality app will allow visitors to experience the artwork in new ways, bringing the installation to life through interactive digital content. Visitors can explore the stories behind the young people’s work and share their own thoughts and reflections inspired by what they’ve seen.
The result is an experience that is at times confronting, hopeful, and deeply personal. Across the installation, recurring themes emerge including identity, worry, Northern Ireland, togetherness, feeling overwhelmed, and hope.
Archive film also features throughout the experience, with additional content unlocked through the app alongside an archive cinema space displaying contemporary film collected from communities across Belfast through the Northern Ireland Now project.
Speaking ahead of the project launch, artist Joe Caslin said: “Too often, young people’s voices are overlooked or dismissed, it can feel like what they have to say doesn’t matter.
"Outpouring creates a space where young people are given the agency to define how they are seen and understood. It encourages audiences to pay closer attention to their experiences, perspectives and realities.
"Riddel’s Warehouse is a remarkable setting for this project. It is exciting to breathe new life into this historic building and fill it with the stories and emotions of a new generation.”
Niall Kerr, Head of Heritage and Community Relations at Nerve Centre, added: “We believe young people should have meaningful opportunities to shape conversations about the future of Northern Ireland.
"Outpouring creates a platform for young people to speak honestly about identity, pressure, hope and belonging, using creativity and technology to share experiences that are often unheard.
"The honesty and imagination within the work is incredibly powerful, and we hope audiences leave with a deeper understanding of the experiences of young people today.”
Outpouring is free to visit and will open to the public until Sunday 5 July. Opening hours are 11am–4pm, Thursday to Sunday, except on Thursday 4 June and Thursday 2 July, when it will open from 5pm–10pm as part of Late Night Art.
