LISTEN - Belfast artist completes 50 metre piece to raise awareness of NI suicide rates

by Gráinne Connolly

A Belfast artist has completed a 50 metre piece of art to raise awareness of Northern Ireland's suicide rates. 

Ro Owens has been working on the project for the past 6 weeks now, as part of the 'Building the Grief Process' scheme.

More than 4,500 people have taken their own life in Northern Ireland, since the Good Friday Agreement was signed. 

That's more than the number of people who died during 'The Troubles'.

Ro has sewn almost 5,000 'tallies' with colourful pieces of thread onto large white cotton sheets. 

Each tally represents someone who has lost their life to suicide.

Belfast Artist Ro Owens has completed a 50 metre piece of art , containing 5,000 sewn on ‘tallies’ to represent the 4,500 people who’ve taken their own life in NI since the Troubles. She’ll showcase the piece at a suicide prevention rally at City Hall later: pic.twitter.com/d8sQqTx3cC

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) 2 March 2019

Ro told Q Radio, she never imagined the project would have been as popular it was.

She says members of the public walked off the street into 'Frameworks' in East Belfast and sewed their own tallies on to the sheets or small tributes to their loved ones. 

They also had the chance to talk to other people and open up about their experiences with suicide.

Ro will be bringing her artwork to a rally in Belfast today aimed at preventing suicide. 

It takes place from 12-2pm at City Hall. 

Ro says people are coming together to stand in solidarity and to raise awareness of mental health, depression and suicide; as well as the lack of services. 

"After 25 months of no functioning government in Northern Ireland", she has called on politicians to get back into government to ensure mental services are delivered for people here.