Conor McCafferty, a PhD student in the RTC research group has recently been working with PLACE, the Built Environment Centre based in Belfast, as co-producer a podcast titled The Infinite City. Conor is currently working on his PhD thesis with Dr. Ouzounian and Dr. Lappin.
Each episode of The Infinite City focuses on one person who takes the listener on a journey through the city, revealing little-known histories, personal memories, and insights into how the city has been shaped.
Amberlea Neely, Manager of PLACE, said:
“We’re delighted to be launching this new podcast, and we think it will be as interesting and informative for locals as it will be for those around the world who may know Belfast only by name. It’s a significant addition to our public programme, which is all about connecting people with place - and place with people. By rooting itself in first-person experiences of the city, it goes much further than just being a history of Belfast; it’s a detailed document of a complex place, and will offer insights to people across a range of backgrounds and interests.”
Rebekah McCabe, co-producer of the podcast, said:
“The podcast builds on a simple format that allows us to deal with a broad range of subject matters, from how Belfast is experienced by someone with vision impairment, to growing up in a mixed estate in the 1950s, to how subtle traces of the conflict are still evident around the city, if you know where to look.”
Conor McCafferty, co-producer of the podcast, said:
“We often think about cities as physical entities: buildings, streets, and the systems that keep the lights on and the water flowing. But a city like Belfast - indeed, any city - only makes sense when you start to listen to people’s stories. Every building and street, every nook and cranny in the urban environment, holds a story waiting to be told. That’s what we have been aiming for with The Infinite City, to build up layers of personal memories and experiences - to find the hidden stories that help us, and hopefully our listeners, to make sense of the place.”
The Infinite City is supported by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios and Arts & Business Northern Ireland.
Episode One of The Infinite City features a walk with the artist and writer Daniel Jewesbury exploring connections between art and commerce in the history of Belfast. The Infinite City is out now on all good podcast apps, and can also be streamed at placeni.org/theinfinitecity
