ACOMSDave

Community Journalist

Archives for October 2018

Equality Commission for Northern Ireland – Discrimination

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Discrimination - Equality Commission for Northern Ireland

 

Tangentially to my visit to the Crescent Arts Centre I was walking out of the centre and saw four booklets/leaflets which all generated from the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and covering ‘discrimination’:

  • A short guide to the role and services of the Equality Commission

  • Gender Discrimination – Treated unfairly because of your gender?

  • Sexual Orientation Discrimination – Treated unfairly because of your sexual orientation?

  • Transgender Discrimination – Treated unfairly because of your gender identity?

I am highlighting these booklets/leaflets because the United Kingdom is currently undergoing seismic changes due to our withdrawal from Europe (Brexit). The impact of which we are only just beginning to see, but for those in minority groups the impact is becoming obvious through physical attacks, intimidation and verbal abuse by our an unwillingness to treat others with respect and care.

This disseminates through the rhetoric of many of our politicians, both national and local, and their thoughts and comments are often acted upon by individuals who have been easily swayed by what the politicians have said.

So back to my starting point, the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, if you feel that yo are being unfairly treated in a work situation, or in a business transaction (shops, restaurants etc.) then tell the Equality Commission and take action to defend yourself and others. At least if nothing else you will find a listening ear, and a willingness to try and help.

 

Equality Commission for Northern Ireland

 

 

A Few to View – Artists Galore

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Artists Galore

The joyous thing about travelling around is visiting places old and new, and in particular for me are art shows and artists galore. Each week throughout the United Kingdom and Spain, indeed Europe, exhibitions are taking place of established professional artists, and of amateurs whose work is no less valid to look at and review.

A while ago whilst in Belfast, I had the opportunity to see work put together by students who had been attending classes in the Crescent Arts Centre. As you can imagine there was a wide variety of skills on display, but each and every one of the artists deserve a resounding thank you for their efforts and for also being willing to show their work.

 

LInk to Crescent Arts Centre website, who run both classes and also put on a wonderfully wide range of shows covering from folk, to jazz, to classical to plays and musicals.  Please give them a look and if you are around,  go to one of there shows or exhibitions, you will not be disappointed.

Here are a few pictures to show some of the art shown:

 

The Rider – a western for today’s world

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The RiderThe difficulty with writing a review is that unless you are paid to write reviews as a job, you normally chose a film to which you are attracted for some reason; and this is just as true for me. I chose The Rider because I love westerns.

I went to see ‘The Rider’ with Brady Jandreau because I have always loved reading western stories and even more watching movies and TV series. For my generation, they were the staple feed for TV and the movie theatres.

I have also come to love the scenery and the characters often depicted in these movies and described by authors like Zane Grey, Louis L’Amour, Cormac McCarthy and Oliver Strange.

Chloé Zhao’s movie is about a rodeo rider who suffers a major life-changing injury, but has difficulty in transitioning from that person on a pedestal to being what? The movie is really a semi-biographic retelling of the life of Brady Jandreau, but the director would never have got near the real-life characters if it had been approached as a biography.

The story is gritty, at times it lacks the smoothness of actors who have spent their lives learning to act, but this is more than made up for by the real people playing roles that they know because they are their roles. Even the animals and the scenery takes on a more than real feel.

You learn how for a lot of rodeo riders they live a boom or bust existence, and when they finish often it is back to being on the edge of survival.

I went to the Queens Film Theatre for the 9 pm performance, wondering if there would be many who would venture out for a movie which whilst getting a lot of accolades, has done so in a quiet slowly progressing way. I was soon put right, it was almost a packed theatre, all became enticed into the story, a quietness descended over the theatre and it stayed that way until people started leaving almost after the credits had nearly finished and not before.

The performances are nothing short of miraculous from all, and I hope to look forward to more movies with Brady and members of the cast in the future.

I earnestly suggest you go and see this movie.

 

Further reading