When did you start working for Community arts Partnership and TRASH Fashion?
I started working for Community Arts Partnership about 2003. TRASH Fashion had already started and Julianne Graham was the co-ordinator. Then after Julianne, the co-ordinator was Jane Lavery.
I was facilitating for a while, then the co-ordinator’s job came up, maybe this was 2006 or 2008, and I had suggested, just in passing, that I would like to do it and Jane suggested I apply for the job. Luckily I was offered the job.
Was there a fashion show at that time?
No. There was usually a CAP event and sometimes there was a mini fashion show as part of that event which showcased all the projects CAP was working on. There was one of those events in St George’s Market and another event in the church in Rosemary Street and in the Parliament Bar I seem to remember.
What happens after that?
In my first year of coordinating the project I needed a neutral venue for a cross community project, Conor suggested I ask Adam Turkington, if we could provide a space, Adam was working for the Waterfront Hall, at the time. He, very kindly, let us use the Green Room for the two groups.
At the end of the workshops, I thought maybe we could have a little fashion show to let the two groups come together with their families. Adam let me use the Glass bar area upstairs. When I saw the space I felt that it would be great to bring all the other project groups together to be part of a fashion show. Conor Shields, the CAP CEO, was very supportive and he allowed me to include all the groups and Adam helped me with with the venue set up. That was my first show and it was a great success. The Annual TRASH Fashion Show was born
The first show was in Bar 2, By the second fashion show the project had doubled in size and we had Bar 2 again. I think that time we had to split the show into two shows with 6 groups in each and they maybe lasted an hour each. I also introduced bringing in an entertainer. I asked Andrew Briggs who sang at a lot of weddings and was a friend of mine, he also sang in the Belfast big choir, and he participated in the show.
From the success of the original shows you just kept building the fashion show as a central part of the project?
The following year with Adam still our champion, we graduated into the larger Waterfront Studio. Then Emma Horan came and sang for us. She was very young, maybe 17 years old, she was a singer songwriter and she’s now based in London and doing very well. After she sang, everyone was wanting their photo taken with her and her autograph. That got me to thinking, the show is also an opportunity for local singers to showcase themselves, and maybe be of some help to them.
It seems to just keep growing?
Yes, the project did grow. The year that Emma sang, we also introduced the big screen and added all the participant’s names for all to see, with the help of our unsung hero Steven Tunley, who every year I torture but I would be lost without his help .
That year we also started working northern Ireland wide and rural groups were invited to participate in the show. Eyespeak traveled all the way from Omagh and we had the Argyle Ladies who really stole the show and showed the young ones how to do it.
Each year we have built on from the previous year and there is a real feel good factor about the Fashion Show and it really ends the project brilliantly. I didn’t always have a show budget but Conor Shields has always found some financing for us to have the show. There has been a lot of kind people and great volunteers over the years ,including my own family who never fail to support our show and CAP. My wee mum always made sure we were all feed!
And where have these fashion shows been held?
Well I do like to make sure its a prestigious venue. We have had shows in The Waterfront Hall three times, The kings Hall where we had an actual catwalk and with the help of our wonderful Sally Young Masque Coordinator we brought participants from some of our other projects like Masque, where we had lots of young people singing and dancing. After that The Ulster Museum, Stormont Buildings, St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast City Hall, and we are back at the City Hall for a special show to celebrate our 25th Anniversary of Community Arts.
