ABSTRACT
‘A Vigorous Corrective’ questions how the architecture, architects, and designers of the festival Ulster ’71 were used by organisers to project a national identity and a means to combat negative international press coverage of Northern Ireland in the early years of the Troubles. We argue that while Ulster ’71 was part of a long line of international exhibitions which attempted to display a particular, cohesive image of the UK, its ability to fulfil this role was ultimately doomed due to growing fractures in the social, cultural, and political context of the region. We contextualise the festival within a period of systemic tensions in the political structures of Northern Ireland, which, in spite of myriad efforts during the festival, could not be contained, leading to mass street protests and, eventually violence. Building on our previous published research, we interrogate attempts at celebration through these mechanisms in the midst of some of the most violent years in recent UK history.
