The ONIEB was delighted to host our eleventh Culture Night on Friday 20th September, in collaboration with the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. The event brought together colleagues and friends from Northern Ireland and beyond to enjoy a celebration of the best of our regional food, art and talent. As usual, it attracted a large number of guests who had the chance to enjoy a performance by Indie-pop singer Roe, view the Bradley Art Prize exhibition and try delicious food and drinks brought in by Food NI. This year’s performer, Roe has toured with Snow Patrol on their UK tour and played Glastonbury’s BBC Introducing Stage. She gave a heart warming performance including an exclusive first live performance of her most recent release, ‘Caravan’, and won over the audience with her personal introductions to the songs. The enthusiastic crowd were even encouraged to join in on the chorus of her single ‘Pressure’.
The office was proud to host the Bradley Art Prize exhibition for a second year, showcasing eleven original pieces. Ashley Foresythe-Bradley, one of the founders of the prize, told the audience that “the young people really do appreciate the exposure and the opportunity to be here, so thank you again very much on behalf of the team.” The overall winner, 19-year-old Holly Hooks also spoke about the opportunity to display her work in Brussels. The prize encourages young Northern Irish artists to nurture their creativity and showcase their talent, now available on a European stage. The Director of the Brussels NI office, Aodhán Connolly, was on the panel of judges tasked with choosing the winners and finalists of the Prize. The exhibition will remain in the Brussels Office until December, and if you would like a chance to visit the exhibition, please contact info.brusselsoffice@executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk .
The office also served delicious food and drinks from Northern Ireland. We started with a selection of charcuterie from Ispini served with cheese from Ballylisk of Armagh and oatcakes from Ditty’s bakery in Castledawson. This was followed by award-winning sausage rolls from the Belfast-based social enterprise Loaf catering, accompanied by Balsamic ketchup from Burren Balsamics and a selection of chutneys. For dessert, the guests enjoyed a variety of flavours of Duke’s Ultra Premium Ice Cream such as Honeycomb, Raspberry Ripple and a dairy-free Lemon Sorbet, sourced directly from Duke’s farm in County Tyrone.
We also provided a range of Northern Irish canned drinks including Lacada Brewery beers, Longmeadow Cider and apple juice and McCracken’s IPA. The spirit of the evening was Earhart gin sourced from the Walled City Brewery, which we mixed ourselves to make a cocktail called the ‘Elderflower Earhart’. Soft drinks included a selection from Troughton’s Premium, based in County Armagh and Longbridge drinks in Belfast.
The Office of the Northern Ireland Executive in Brussels would like to extend a warm thank you to Terry Bradley, Ashley Foresythe-Bradley, Roe, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Food NI and all of our guests for making Culture Night 2024 such an unforgettable evening. We look forward to welcoming you again next year for another taste of home.