Alice Burns

The Co-Op Santa is a site specific work that presents a cultural activity that pays no attention to cultural barriers
in what is essentially a divided society. Places and buildings often evoke very strong memories and people of a certain age may associate buildings or locations around Belfast with difficult, unpleasant or even traumatic memories. A visit to the Belfast Co-Op Santa was an activity that was inclusive of people from all parts of the city.On the 1st December I want to change that and celebrate happy memories of a fine Belfast institution, and an activity that was inclusive of people from all parts of the city. During conversations with participants in 'Remember When', It came to light that the annual visit to see Santa was one that many people had a long tradition of, independent of other cultural ideologies. I hope this artwork would engage viewers in thinking about activities that are beyond the barriers that we have in our society. The video is a documentation of the project.