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Met up with Graeme Farrow today, the director of the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen's.ÌýHe arrived for our meetingÌýclutchingÌýa rain soaked batch of A4 sheets. Hot off the press here was a preview, albeit a slightly soggy one,ÌýofÌý this year's festival programme which won't beÌýofficially launched until the 23rd August .

So Alan Bennett in the Grand Opera House, his "The Habit of Art" which imagines a meeting between Benjamin Britten and WH Auden. Then there's a foot washing ceremony at an East Belfast interface, artist Adrian Howells performs this with an audience of one, yes, you and your feet, which he washes, anoints with frankincense oil and then asks can he kiss? Apparently he's booked for 40 performances. That's 80 feet!

Then there'sÌý"National Anthem" from Colin Bateman, his first ever stage playÌýand an opera based in a bingo hall from Brian Irvine.

Tony Allen, perhaps the greatest drummer everÌý(according to Brian Eno),ÌýTerry Riley and Talvin Singh in the Elmwood Hall and, yes, fifty naked women dancing in the Waterfront Hall. That'll put plenty of (bare) bums on seats. Sorry!

Martin Creed, the Turner Prize winner, plays punk on a barge in Belfast Lough. Joanna McGregor plays Chopin, Dame Gillian Weir plays the refurbished Mulholland Organ, Therapy? in the Mandela Hall and Paul Brady's back catalogue is specially orchestrated for the Ulster Orchestra with Brady onstage..

Michael Palin returns. ÌýHis connection with the festival goes way back, to the days of former festival director the late Michael Barnes. Michael P isÌývery much part of the Michael Barnes Bursary. And he's alsoÌýselected three of his favourite comedy films to be shown in the festival. Called Palin's Pic(k)s, they areÌý"A Shot in theÌýDark", "Fargo" and "The Ladykillers".

What else? A lot but Graeme said I was to leave him something. So more to follow when the programme is officially launched!

The Festival runs from the 15th-30th October.

Ìý

Great news for Northern Irish poetry today.ÌýTwo out of the six poets shortlisted for the are from here. Seamus Heaney for hisÌýnew collection ""Human Chain" and Sinead Morrissey for "Through the Square Window",Ìýthe same collection for which she was shortlisted for theÌýTS Eliot prize earlier this year.

Northern Irish poets have been here before. Ciaran Carson won the prizeÌýin 2003 for "Breaking News". The following year Leontia Flynn won Best First Collection for "These Days".

It's like a poetry version of that Kevin Bacon party game, based on the idea that other actors and the parts they've played can be connected to Kevin Bacon. Only this time it's Six Degrees of Seamus Heaney.

So (1)ÌýSeamus Heaney isÌýa former student of ÌýQueen's University Belfast

(2)ÌýIn 2003 Queen's University sets up the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry Ìý

(3) Ciaran Carson is Professor of Poetry at Queen's and director ofÌýthe Seamus Heaney Centre,

(4) Leontia FLynn is a research fellowÌýthere

(5) Sinead Morrissey is a lecturer in creative writing there too which brings me to the sixÌýdegrees.....Ìý

(6) Seamus Heaney

But I don't thinkÌýKevin Bacon need worry about losing his partyÌýgame to the Nobel Laureate for Literature! Ìý

Anyhow,Ìýthe Forward Prize for Best Poetry collection shortlist is:

• Seamus Heaney - Human Chain
• Lachlan Mackinnon - Small Hours
• Sinead Morrissey - Through the Square Window
• Robin Robertson - The Wrecking Light
• Fiona Sampson - Rough Music
• Jo Shapcott - Of Mutability

ÌýThe winner will beÌýrevealed on the 6thÌýof October.Ìý

News just in thatÌýare kicking off their first UKÌýand Ireland tour since 2006 here in Belfast.ÌýDecember 1st. Ulster Hall.

They headlined Latitude last weekend and are giving over their December to 10 shows.

The winter tourÌýincludes threeÌýshows with a 40 piece orchestra. But unfortunately not the Ulster Hall show.ÌýGateshead, Birmingham and Manchester get B&S with the LondonÌýContemporary Orchestra, whoÌýwere also with the band at Latitude.

But if the orchestra isn't comingÌýacross here, to either the Belfast or the Dublin gigs (its the next night on the 2nd Dec)Ìýmaybe we should rustle up our own orchestral sounds for the band. What about the Ulster Orchestra in the Ulster Hall?ÌýThey've already done similar gigs with Neil Hannon, Marianne Faithfull and Duke Special. So they knowÌýtheir way around contemporary musicÌýas well as the classical big hitters.ÌýAnd I've just checked their programme and they'll be in rehearsal forÌýThe Snowman concert on the 4th so they could squeeze in Belle &ÌýSebastian.ÌýAs long as the music for "WalkingÌýin the Air" didn't get mixed up in the Belle & Sebastian playlist!

I've already suggested the UO toÌýthe PR man so let's see!

Whatever happens, as long as they play "The Fox in the Snow" from their "If you're feeling sinister" album I'll be happy.Ìý

Ìý

The mood was buoyant onÌýFriday in Derry. It was the day after the announcement that Derry had won City of Culture 2013 and the bid team, led by Aideen McGinley of ILEX (in the blue jacket) and Valerie Watts the Town Clerk of Derry City Council (in white), were running on adrenalin.

I think theÌýtwo,Ìýdubbed the V&A,Ìýare actually keeping each other standing, they are so exhausted. Phil Redmond said he had known who had won for about a month and was relieved to finally be able to talk about it. HereÌýhe'sÌýcracking a joke about another name to add to the list of names the city has.....Merryderry!

But among the euphoria he did issue a reality check: "You've got it, make it work".

He said that he and the panel of judges would be visiting the city in 9 months time to meet the team. "Can you deliver this?" he asked. There will be tensions, he went on,Ìýsaying he had the scars to prove it,Ìýthe reference to theÌýfallings out and fallings inÌýof the European capitalÌýofÌýCulture in Liverpool. ÌýÌý

This week, I'm told, sees the appointment of a cultural animateur. While I thought this was for the whole City of Culture, this new post could be solelyÌýresponsible for the cultural strategy of the ILEX owned Ebrington Site.

Then comes the setting up of a cultural company, with an as yet unspecified number of board members, within which will there will be a new position of a cultural programmer for 2013.

I can feel the fizz going out of the champagne already as a cast of thousands jockeys for position. TheÌýnext two-and-a-half years years will be interesting.

(Photos courtesy of Lorcan Doherty)Ìý

Since hearing about Ian Hill's sudden death yesterday, I've been remembering the man I first met backÌýin the early 1990's. I was just starting out in radio and I was makingÌýaÌýshortÌýfeatureÌýfor the then ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio Ulster arts programme "All Arts and Parts" whichÌýIan presented. Derry's IMPACT 92 festival was on andÌýhe and his producer Chris SpurrÌýhad come down to Radio Foyle to do theÌýshow.ÌýI can't even rememberÌýthe actualÌýfeature I worked on,Ìýbut I do remember Ian.

Over the years and all the subsequent incarnations of the arts programme,ÌýIan remained a cultural champion of local arts and a friend and colleague on Radio Ulster.Ìý

He was also a unique voice.

Northern Ireland is a small place and the arts community here is even smaller. Unlike the metropolitan critics of the London or New York broadsheets whoÌýhave a certain anonymity, IanÌýwas well known.ÌýBut this never fazed him. You knew when you asked him on "Arts Extra" toÌýreview aÌýplay or an art exhibition, Ìýhe would shoot from the hip.ÌýÌýAnd that's no easy thing to do here, especially if the review isn't too favourable and he was more than likely to bump into the artist or director on the street or in the local Tescos.Ìý

That's why you knew when you heard his opinion on something you were getting the truth. He was aÌýtrue critical voice, fearless about putting his head above the parapet because he loved and believed in what he saw.Ìý

On behalf of everyone who has worked with IanÌýon the arts programmes on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio Ulster over the years we send our condolences to his wife and family. He will be missed.

I've always been teased by friends for myÌýendless bragging aboutÌýmy hometown but tonight,atÌý725pm, I was probably the most proud I have ever been of being from the city known as Derry, Londonderry, Stroke City (courtesy of Gerry Anderson)Ìýand now the first UK City of Culture 2013. Ìý

I was in the Guildhall when it was announced that Derry had won. The rumours had been flying around all day, but I had braced myself not to believe anything until I heard the announcement. In fact, ÌýI was so keyed up about the whole thing that as I heard it being said everything went into slow motion. I walked into the semi darkness of the Guildhall's main hall, into a throng of people all looking in the same direction towards theÌýgiant tv screens on the stage. The roar that had just gone up on hearing the news was one of pure joy. ÌýThe first person I saw was Pauline Ross, the director of the Playhouse. It was almost like she was in a mystical trance, arms in the air, openly crying and whenÌýI asked her for her immediate reaction, ( I wasÌýon air with Arts Extra),Ìýshe said "I can hardly feel my legs". Pauline is one of the cultural journey men and women who haveÌýinvested their all intoÌýDerry. Her reaction summed up to me the palpable feeling ofÌý rawÌýundilutedÌýjoy mixed withÌývindication,Ìýthe sense thatÌýhere was a recognition of what the city had done and what it can become.

As I was leaving the Guildhall around 830 this evening, IÌýsawÌýmany young people milling around outside, standing chatting, oblivous to the rain coming down. I realised that while I was celebrating the moment it was only after disappointments in the past.ÌýI was a junior arts administrator putting up posters for Field Day Theatre Company shows in the late 80's early 90's, but the city has no legacy of Field Day having been there.ÌýOr when I wasÌýworking on IMPACT 92, the year long arts festival in the city that didn't quite live up to its expectationsÌýin 1993.Ìý

ÌýThese kids don't know this,Ìýso the step change has already happened, the longed forÌý"sea-change
on the far side of revenge" as Seamus Heaney said in "The Cure at Troy".ÌýWords from his play areÌýquoted on the first page of the bid document, the same words which, in 1990,ÌýI heard said on the same stage of the GuildhallÌýthat tonight said City of Culture.
TheÌýteenagers outsideÌýthe Guildhall are the sea change. It didn't take a City of Culture title to appreciateÌýit. But it's good to get the chance to show whatÌýcan happen now. Ìý

Ìý

It is the biggest cultural story around at the moment so unashamedly I'mÌýbloggingÌýabout the UK City of Culture 2013. And blogging from ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio Foyle. We're up for the live announcement tonight. But try as I might I can't get anyone to tell me who's won.

The Derry bid team are inÌýLiverpool, includingÌýthe Deputy First minister MartinÌýMcGuinness, who has cancelled an engagement in the city to do so.ÌýEd Vaizey the Culture minister willÌýmake the announcement during the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s The One Show. Ìý

Most people I talk to say they would "bet their house" on Derry winning.ÌýBut while it's all been grist to theÌýrumour mill, Ìýcheck out article in the Mail Online. According to the reporter Derry has already won!

We will know for sure tonight,ÌýI'll be live from the Guildhall 1903-2000 ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio Ulster "Arts Extra".Ìý

Join me then.ÌýIt's going to be a night to remember.

The official film produced to support the Derry~Londonderry UK City of Culture 2013 bid has gone online. Voices. Made by the Nerve Centre, produced by Pearse Moore and written by John Peto it is an homage to the new face of the city.

It starts with the voice of poet Seamus Heaney reading from his play "The Cure at Troy" and ends with a young girl, Rebecca Ramsey, walking towards the camera saying

"I have a new story to tell /I need to tell a new story/Just say yes"

Just Say Yes is the Snow Patrol song, Gary Lightbody's granny was from Derry and the band gave permission for the song to be the bid anthem

Ìý

The winning city is being announced at 7.25pm this Thursday 15th July live on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s "The One Show".

I'll be broadcasting live from Derry for a specially extended "Arts Extra" on Thursday nightÌýto capture the moments before and after.