that didn t tell you the place to open a start up because of the whatever, the low land rates or whatever, is belfast. it s a tech hub of europe, etc, etc, etc. none of that would have been possible pre the good friday agreement because none of nobody would ve wanted to come here and set up a business where somebody could just blow it to pieces. it s it s not a good business decision. like, it s simply not. and that s why the good friday agreement is so important because you can interpret it in so many different ways as well, in terms of a historical document, a cultural document but it s also an economic document in that it has helped us gain some semblance of peace here and a ceasefire which has allowed places to open businesses and, ultimately, do better for our country. so, how does your immediate family and yourfriends and that react whenever you told them you wanted to pursue a career in the arts?
i think especially the last couple of years, especially i think post brexit has sort of started to put an awful lot. i don t know if was a couple of months or a year ago, i can t remember, there was all that trouble in lanark way, and there was a bus stolen and everything else, and i remember being there that night and the.riot or whatever you want to call it, there was the old boys at the back sending the young lads at the front forward, do you know what i mean? so i think especially over the last couple of years, i think there s a perception among a lot of people in sort of the areas i m from that the peace hasn t necessarily benefited them. so where could the next 25 years then take northern ireland s creative and arts industries? we have a burgeoning film and tv industry here. like, across the world, it s almost synonymous now with northern ireland. the last five years, you couldn t open a finance magazine or a tech magazine that didn t tell you the place to open a start up because
it was the scene of many brutal attacks and killings, but also is where some talks were held and the good friday agreement signed. today, it s a modern city, attracting tourists from all over the world who want to learn about its past and the peace process. but in some areas of the city, like here in west belfast, where walls that separate the two sides of the community tower over houses and, in some cases, run through people s back gardens, peace isn t something that s a certainty. siren wails shouting just two years ago, riots broke out by the peace line at lanark way. police officers were attacked, petrol bombs thrown and a bus was set on fire. police said paramilitary organisations were likely to have been involved. it s a different picture to where i am now the lyric theatre across the city where i ve come to meet some young actors rehearsing for their next big production. but all loyal catholics
they want change, and people were looking for change, and i think it s a sign that if people wanted it then, | it s a thing that we i should stand by now. how do you feel about what your grandad did 25 years ago? i honestly think it s pretty good because i d be in school and i d be, like, just in history or whatever, and you would be looking through the textbook and there would be photographs of him and talking about him, and it s, like, wow, he really did something important. what s the legacy like for you, 0llie? some of my friends were over here the other day and they saw the photo with bill clinton and the nobel prize, and they think it s crazy. some of them were sending photos of it to their parents, and they were saying, 0h, is this not weird having it in your house? to me, it sjust my grandad. 100 miles back up the road is belfast, northern ireland s capital city. during the troubles,
northern ireland, a small place of only 2 million people, once again capturing the attention of the world. presidents and prime ministers past and present have been getting into the province to join ministers past and present have been getting into the province tojoin in celebrations for a political agreement signed here 25 years ago. supporting the people of northern ireland, protecting the pier, is a priority. i5 ireland, protecting the pier, is a riori . , ., ., , priority. is regarded as the day that helped priority. is regarded as the day that helped and priority. is regarded as the day that helped and decades - priority. is regarded as the day that helped and decades of- priority. is regarded as the day - that helped and decades of violence here during the 19705, 805 and 905. reactions to being signed were largely positive. the reactions to being signed were largely positive. reactions to being signed were laruel ositive. ., , , ., largely positive. the opportunity to come ha