voices of ulster

Language. Identity. Belonging.

What does your voice say about where you’re from?

Voices of Ulster is a new research and creative project exploring how everyday speech, languages, dialect, accents, and expressions, shapes identity and belonging in Northern Ireland.

Led by National Museums NI in partnership with Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham.

This seed-funded scoping project (May–September 2025) marks the first step in a larger conversation about language as living heritage.

Why Language?

In Northern Ireland, language carries history. It reflects migration, settlement, faith, industry, conflict and peacebuilding. It can connect and sometimes divide.

From Irish and Ulster-Scots to Hiberno-English and newer community languages, everyday speech tells powerful stories about who we are and how we see ourselves.

What can everyday voices reveal about language, identity and belonging and how can museums help tell those stories in inclusive, creative ways?

What We’re Doing

Listening First
We are engaging with academics, curators, community groups, Irish and Ulster-Scots speakers, multilingual communities, and creative practitioners to explore sensitivities, opportunities and shared priorities

Creating a ‘Vox Pop’ Film
A short 10-minute pilot film captured spontaneous reflections on language and identity. Honest, informal and exploratory, it has served as a proof of concept for future research, exhibitions and digital engagement

Why It Matters

Voices of Ulster supports National Museums NI’s strategic commitment to Identity and Inclusive Global Histories. It strengthens our ambition to be a research-led and inclusive museum, one that reflects the plurality of voices across Northern Ireland

Language is not static. It evolves. It travels. It adapts.

By capturing everyday speech now, we are documenting living heritage, and opening space for reflection, dialogue and understanding in a post-conflict society.

At its heart, Voices of Ulster is simple, it begins by listening and it invites you to be part of the conversation.

Looking Ahead

This seed project lays the foundation for a larger programme exploring:

Language as intangible cultural heritage;
Co-created digital and exhibition outputs;
Peacebuilding, plurality and belonging;
The role of National Museums NI in delivering the Identity and Language Act