Imagine Belfast Festival of Ideas & Politics 2019
Programme Revealed
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The programme for our largest and most thought-provoking festival has just been released. During 25-31 March, we will host 156 events to encourage people to discuss and debate the big issues of our times. The strictly non-partisan festival offers up an eclectic week of talks, workshops, theatre, comedy, music, exhibitions, film and tours to prepare us for the challenges of tomorrow.
The seven-day festival features a packed programme of over 380 speakers and performers in 50 venues across the city and is supported by 64 partner organisations. Most of the events are free, and we hope to attract people who are not traditionally involved in the arts or political debates.
The exciting programme includes the renowned author Lionel Shriver, best known for her award-winning novel We Need to Talk About Kevin; George Monbiot – the author, Guardian columnist and environmental campaigner; the journalist and author Gavin Esler and Peter Tatchell, the leading human rights activist. Other high-profile speakers include one of Ireland’s most distinguished former politicians, Mary Harney; the equality champion, Richard Wilkinson; the legendary journalist Vincent Browne, leading historian Ruth Dudley Edwards and the Irish Senator and author Lynn Ruane.
We are also putting the fun into politics with comedians Robin Ince, Shazia Mirza, Tim McGarry and a cabaret show on the Joy of Brex with Paddy Cullivan. BBC presenter Lynette Fay and other guests will also have some light-hearted Banter on whether Belfast is a good place for culchies and other blow-ins! Musicians such as Duke Special, Dave Randall (Faithless and Dido) and Joby Fox will also entertain us. In addition, politics, music and nakedness will collide for a uniquely psychedelic, fun-filled evening at the Great Big Naked Conspiracy Night on 30 March!
The festival also features a major exhibition by Rita Duffy on the symbols of the 1916 Easter Rising. Other exhibitions focus on loyalist bonfire culture, eco-politics and the legacy of colonialism. Members of the public will also be asked to produce sculptures and artefacts using wood pellets in a satirical competition poking fun about the RHI scandal. The founder of the Craftivism movement, Sarah Corbett, will help judge this as well as talk about the art of gentle protest.
The festival also has a special Democracy Day programme looking at aspects of civic activism and the potential fall out of Brexit on 29 March. Organised in conjunction with the leading global media platform open Democracy; its founder Anthony Barnett and editor in chief Mary Fitzgerald, together with leading local and international experts, will debate the health of democracy and discuss the challenges presented by Brexit and Trump.
Other talks will look at touchstone topics such as Climate Change, the implications of Brexit, LGBT+ history, Beyond Clicktivism, the Challenges of Globalisation; new Culture Wars; Abortion, Universal Basic Income; Politics beyond Politicians and many more geo-political issues. The festival also includes a hackathon organised by Deloitte, and 65 other workshops including ‘How to Speak Out’ and ‘How to Imagine Democracy’ with awards of £500 available for the best ideas submitted by the public.
Imagine Belfast’s theatre programme includes the premiere of Kabosh’s exciting new play, A Queer Céilí at the Marty Forsythe; the controversial play - DUPed - which explores the legacy and continuing impact of Rev Ian Paisley and the DUP; and Girl in the Machine, a disturbing but compassionate vision of our potential digital future, produced by Chaos Theory Theatre.
Add to this eclectic programme ten walking tours; eight films; five exhibitions; three poetry events; a family transcultural fun day and even a naked interview then you have an exciting festival that is set to capture the imagination of the people of Belfast and beyond. For tickets and full programme details, land here.
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