‘Living Tours Belfast’ is a new experience of the city, giving tourists and locals the chance to 'Shake Hands With The Past'. It is a cross between a walking tour and a piece of promenade theatre, where audience members get to meet the famous and not-so-famous residents of Belfast, past and present, as they see the sights. Along the way, the tour encounters Arthur Chichester, CS Lewis and George Best, as well as many others.

The business has been established by Janice Kernoghan, an actress and theatre practitioner from Jordanstown, who saw the gap in the market for a performed tour of Belfast.

Her business idea came from a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style assessment during her Master’s in Drama and Performance Studies at Queen’s, when the students had to come up with a viable creative business idea.

“At the end of my second presentation, two of the “dragons” - arts and business professionals within N. Ireland - gave me their cards and said to get in touch if I wanted to make it a reality,” said Janice. “One of these was David Gibson, the Teaching Fellow in Entrepreneurship at Queen’s. He put me in touch with the Enterprise SU, and without their support I don’t think this project would have happened”.

Janice commented: “We hope to add an extra cosmopolitan, artistic vibe to Belfast while celebrating the rich history the city holds. We want to appeal not only to tourists, but to locals as well - it’s a great way to peek into the lives of the people who shaped Belfast, and a relaxing and fun way to spend a Sunday morning.”

Another important aspect of Living Tours Belfast is that it is run as a social enterprise, and as such, received funding from the UnLtd Millennium Awards Scheme.

While around half of the cast are professional actors, the other half are made up of drama students from Queen’s University. By taking part, these students can gain valuable experience and this experience can be accredited as part of the Degree Plus programme at Queen’s.

Janice added: “With the economy the way it is at the moment, it is so important that students, particularly those in the arts, have real experience of their workplace as well as qualifications. I see the tours as an invaluable tool for the student performers taking part.”

Tours start on Sunday, July 5 and run every Sunday, departing at 11.15am from Belfast Welcome Centre in Donegal Place, and last approximately 90 minutes.

Group bookings for 10 or more people can be made at other times. Tickets cost £9 or £6 concessions, and are available from Belfast Welcome Centre on 028 9024 6609.