Beyond Belfast's Peace Walls: A New Generation Forges Its Own Path
In the aftermath of the 2021 riots that saw young loyalists and republicans clash on the streets of Belfast, Irish photographer Hazel Gaskin found herself questioning a persistent narrative. Why, she wondered, does the world only view Belfast's young people through the lens of tension, division, and violence? This question sparked a profound four-year journey, resulting in her powerful new photographic book, Breathing Land.
A Quest for Normalcy in the Shadow of History
Gaskin dedicated herself to documenting the everyday realities of Belfast's youth, venturing into youth clubs, boxing gyms like Cairn Lodge, dynamic dance groups such as Utopia, and the simple street corners where teenagers gather. "I learned these kids are just being normal teenagers," Gaskin reflects. "There are experiences that are different – they come from areas with a lot of historic violence. But people are going about their everyday life. It's very normal."
The project, titled after a line from Seamus Heaney's poem Tate's Avenue, took her across Belfast. She focused her lens on less affluent areas where the physical remnants of the Troubles remain most visible. "I didn't realise how many of these peace walls were still fixed structures in Belfast," admits Gaskin, expressing shock at her own prior ignorance as an Irish person. "The physical structures play into the mental thing: 'We're separated.' Schools are segregated. People don't generally mix."
Complex Tensions and a Changing City
While acknowledging the enduring tensions between communities, Gaskin's work reveals a more nuanced story. "There are all kinds of tensions when you're young," she notes. "It's not necessarily about people from one side and another side coming to fight. There are different things at play, like social mobility, poverty … all things that affect this generation. That's the story."
Gaskin's personal history with Belfast adds depth to her perspective. Born in Dublin in 1986, she frequented the city's drum'n'bass clubs in her twenties, recalling a time when caution was necessary in certain areas. Today, she observes a city in rapid transformation. Belfast is becoming more ethnically diverse, yet grappling with reported rises in racism and anti-immigrant violence. The political landscape simmers with anxiety and excitement over the prospect of a referendum on Irish reunification.
Echoes of Division and Spaces of Unity
The photographs in Breathing Land poignantly capture these dual realities. One image documents the intimidating spectacle of an Eleventh Night bonfire, a Protestant celebration. Another finds unity in the rave night at Féile an Phobail, a festival initiative designed to offer young people an alternative to sectarian commemorations.
Gaskin discovered that clubs and music scenes often act as neutral ground, a sentiment echoed by Belfast rap group Kneecap. "Nobody cared where you were from," she says of these spaces. "You're all there enjoying music together." This stands in stark contrast to the pervasive religious iconography she found jarring, a constant reminder of division woven into the city's daily fabric.
A Hopeful Glimpse of the Future
Now a lecturer in photography at London College of Fashion, Gaskin completed the project with a complex understanding of Belfast. Yet, her most enduring impression is one of hope, centred on the aspirations of the younger generation. "I definitely think the future's going to be more connected," she states with conviction. "Young people don't like the peace walls. They want to live in a 'normal' situation. More schools are coming in that are less religiously segregated. Young people don't see the need for the division any more."
Through intimate portraits—from Arran dedicating himself to boxing to Demika expressing herself through powerful freestyle dance—Breathing Land moves beyond well-worn narratives. It presents a compelling portrait of a generation determined to define itself, not by the walls that separate, but by the shared human experiences that connect.
Breathing Land by Hazel Gaskin will be published in February by New Dimension (£30).
