Belfast's Youth Forge New Paths Beyond Historic Divisions in Hazel Gaskin's Photography
In the wake of the 2021 riots in Belfast, which saw clashes between young loyalists and republicans, Irish photographer Hazel Gaskin embarked on a four-year journey to challenge the world's perception of the city's teenagers. Moving beyond the well-worn narratives of tension and violence, she sought to document the everyday lives of young people in Belfast, capturing moments of normalcy in the shadow of a troubled past.
A Lens on Normal Teenage Life
Gaskin spent years visiting youth clubs, boxing gyms, dance groups, and street corners across Belfast, including areas like Alliance Avenue in north Belfast and the spaces between the nationalist Falls Road and unionist Shankill Road in west Belfast. Her focus was primarily on less affluent neighbourhoods, where peace walls and gates still physically separate communities.
"I learned these kids are just being normal teenagers," says Gaskin. "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." Her new book, Breathing Land, titled after a line from Seamus Heaney's poem Tate's Avenue, showcases these insights through a series of poignant photographs.
The Lingering Impact of Division
During her project, Gaskin was struck by the persistence of physical barriers in Belfast. "I didn't realise how many of these peace walls were still fixed structures in Belfast," she admits. "As an Irish person, to be so ignorant on that stuff shocked me, including how it physically affects people's movement through the city. The physical structures play into the mental thing: 'We're separated.' Schools are segregated. People don't generally mix."
She acknowledges that tensions between Catholics and Protestants exist, but emphasises that for young people, these are often intertwined with broader issues. "There are all kinds of tensions when you're young. 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."
Personal Reflections and Changing Times
Born in Dublin in 1986, Gaskin recalls visiting Belfast in her 20s for drum'n'bass clubs, where she had to be cautious in Protestant areas due to her Dublin car registration and accent. "It's not like that now," she notes, highlighting a shift in attitudes. In clubs, she found that divisions often evaporated, as celebrated in songs like Kneecap's Parful. "Nobody cared where you were from," she says. "You're all there enjoying music together."
Now a lecturer in photography at London College of Fashion, Gaskin completed an MSc in Sociology at Goldsmiths in 2024. Her work on Breathing Land left her with mixed feelings about Belfast's future, including anxiety and excitement over potential Irish reunification referendums, and observations of a city transforming with increased ethnic diversity and reported rises in racism.
A Hopeful Outlook from the Younger Generation
Despite these challenges, Gaskin encountered a younger generation eager to move beyond the past. "I definitely think the future's going to be more connected," she asserts. "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."
Breathing Land by Hazel Gaskin will be published in February by New Dimension, priced at £30. The book features images that tell a story of resilience and hope, such as:
- Féile, 2023: Captured at a rave night during Féile an Phobail, aimed at diverting young people from nationalist bonfires.
- Arran, 2024: A portrait of a teenager transitioning from a marching band to boxing, training diligently at Cairn Lodge boxing club.
- Antonia, 2022: Taken at St Peters Immaculata youth club, showcasing outreach activities like trips to parks or the seaside.
- Demika, 2025: A freestyle dancer with Utopia, highlighting the physical strength and power of this art form.
- Jesus Have Mercy On Me, 2021: Reflects the strong presence of religion in Northern Ireland's daily landscape.
- Untitled, 2022: Depicts a Protestant bonfire celebration on 11 July, with young people listening to rave music, challenging intimidating perceptions.
Through these images, Gaskin offers a nuanced view of Belfast's youth, emphasising their desire for connection and a future free from historic divisions.
