On 12 December 2025, Belfast Interface Project (BIP) marked a significant milestone by bringing together our 25th Anniversary celebrations and Annual General Meeting into one shared event. The day provided an opportunity to reflect on our journey, celebrate our impact, and look ahead to the future of interface work in Belfast and beyond.

The event featured contributions from several key voices within and alongside the organisation. Chair, Maria Morgan, launched our 2026-28 Strategic and Operational Plan, while reflecting on the importance of BIP’s role and the meaningful difference it has made within interface areas over the past 25 years. Our Treasurer, Murial Bowyer, highlighted the various financial challenges facing BIP, and, despite these, the organisation still manages to survive (and praised our various funders accordingly). Paul Smith (Coordinator) spoke about the future direction of BIP, highlighting our ongoing impact in communities and the need to expand into areas such as research to strengthen and inform our work. Finally, we were delighted to hear from partner, Professor Peter Bloom (Essex University), who spoke about the Shared Futures Platform, outlining the years of work behind its development and the positive impact it will have for interface communities; particularly for local stakeholders such as community and youth centres.

The keynote address was delivered by Professor Duncan Morrow (Ulster University), who spoke powerfully about the importance of the work BIP has and continues to do, why it remains vital, and the positive impact its ongoing legacy has, within interface communities across the city. BIP also wishes to acknowledge the hospitality of Ulster University in hosting our anniversary and AGM event; and kindly providing refreshments for attendees.

The event was a very successful day, facilitated by Gerry Skelton MBE, and filled with important discussions, reflections, and shared learning; conversations that we hope will continue and be turned into positive action for interface communities across Belfast and NI.

We would like to sincerely thank everyone who worked so hard to organise the event, including the speakers for their thoughtful contributions, staff for their hard work behind the scenes, board members, who supported the planning and successful delivery of the day, and all those who attended and helped make the day such a meaningful celebration of BIP’s work: past, present, and future.

Belfast Interface Project held our Thirteenth Annual General Meeting (AGM) on the 21^st of February 2014. We had the great pleasure of hosting Prof. Brandon Hamber, our keynote speaker.

Prof. Hamber reflected on aspects of multiculturalism/ interculturalism, community security paradox and interdependence. All these aspects were very important to think over, in terms of community engagement.

The Annual Report was presented as well as the Treasurer’s Report, which was unanimously approved.

The BIP membership and its types were outlined (community groups, associates and individual members) and the election of Board Directors took place. The process for electing and re-electing was successfully completed.

Belfast Interface Project is currently managing delivery of the 'Inner East Outer West' project - a collaborative inter-community relationship-building project involving groups and communities, both young people and adults from both sides of interfaces in inner East Belfast and in the Suffolk and Lenadoon communities in Outer West Belfast.

One element within the larger project has been a photography project - the 'Exchanging Perceptions' project.

In late August and early September 2013 a group of people from both sides of the community came together in each of these areas to photograph the environment that surrounds them and their own and each others interface environments. In the process relationships began to be established and conversations emerged naturally about our environments, our values and our identity. In these conversations were found many examples of our differences and of our similarities.

Within this project, local residents from each of the participating areas - Suffolk, Lenadoon, Inner East Belfast and Short Strand - took part in a series of cross-community photography workshops within their own areas (i.e. workshops in Inner East and in Outer West) using disposable cameras, facilitated by a professional photographer (Steven Wilson).

One aim of the project was to produce an exhibition of photography.

The exhibition opened last night, October 14th, in the concourse of the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.

A private viewing for project participants was followed by a public opening of the exhibition, with warm words from OFMDFM Junior Minister Jennifer McCann and also Maire Hendron, Chair of Belfast City Council Good Relations Partnership.

The Exchanging Perceptions exhibition will run until October 24th.

Belfast Interface Project and TIDES are jointly offering a new mediation service as part of a new project funded by SEUPB through Belfast City Council Community Safety Unit, to end of December 2013.

The project will offer mediation training – both accredited and unaccredited – and also mediation case work.

To register your interest in any of these services, please contact Arthur Magill on magilla@belfastcity.gov.uk  or 028 9032 0202.