Here and there

Here are a few photographs from events that I have attended since becoming the DCAL minister at the start of July.

I hosted a reception at Stormont on 11 July for visitors from around the world who had come to Northern Ireland for the World Triennial Orange Conference.  The guests were entertained  by musicans, dancers and the unique sound of the Lambeg drum.  Along with me in the photograph are Peter Robinson, First Minister, and two local Orangemen from Belfast County, Dawson Bailie, County Grand Master, and Tom Haire, Deputy County Grand Master.

In September I took part in a Stephen Nolan Show programme from Stormont, along with MLAs from other parties and political commentator Eamonn Mallie.  Not surprisingly for the Nolan Show there was probably more heat than light - both Nolan and Mallie seemed to be majoring on negativity!!

I was back in my own constituency to unveil six art-pieces on the Crumlin Road, along with the artist Lucy Turner and Brian Sore from the Arts Council.

On 10 September I attended the unveiling ceremony of the Threshold Stone for the new Lyric Theatre in Belfast.  My department has committed over £9 million of funding for the new theatre as part of our investment in cultural infrastructure.  The other people in the photograph are broadcaster Mark Carruthers, who is the chair of the Lyric, Rosemary Kelly, chair of the Arts Council, the poet Seamus Heaney and Belfast Lord Mayor Naomi Long.

Here I am being tested by Dr Gareth Davison from the University of Ulster as part of a project to highlight the importance of healthy living.  Physical activity and health experts from the university were up at Stormont and gave some of the MLAs a health check.