how to contribute
We want you to participate in our festival by attending an event, joining a webcast, contributing to the online discussion, and/or sharing your ideas and feedback on our website and via your own networks.
We are happy to connect with you on your social media platforms and cross-promote, so:
- Join our Twitter feed
- Join our Instagram page
- Like our Facebook page and/or
- Subscribe to our festival newsletter.
During festival week please email us highlights of the events you saw so that we can keep people informed about your feedback via the festival website and our social media accounts.
You can follow our activities at imaginebelfast.com and on Twitter @ImagineBelfast. When tweeting, please use the hashtag #ImagineBelfast in your tweets. If you have an Instagram account and are uploading images related to the festival, please also include #ImagineBelfast.
It would be great if you can include the website address www.imaginebelfast.com and the hashtag #ImagineBelfast in all your communications about the festival.
The festival’s strapline is ‘The Belfast Festival of Ideas & Politics’. Please try to use this strapline on your social media content promoting your involvement with the festival.
Take part in our festival
Every October we issue a Call for Events when we ask people to come up with ideas for an event and to apply to present it as part of the festival. We want to encourage the participation of under-represented groups in political and cultural debate and to stimulate debate on issues that are often excluded from our local political discourse.
The Call for Ideas is therefore intended to give the whole community a part in shaping the festival, from suggesting speakers to directly creating and delivering events. Although we can’t run with every proposal, we promise to look seriously at every suggestion and come back to you with a reasoned response.
What are we looking for?
We are open to all suggestions and adopt an expansive interpretation of the terms ‘ideas’ and ‘politics’ especially if your proposal is an imaginative and provocative event. Our past contributors include a wide range of individuals and organisations including community groups, colleges, artists, arts organisations, businesses, cultural groups, charities etc.
You may have an idea for an event around a particular issue or format – perhaps a debate, cafe discussion, a performance, exhibition, workshop or kids offering. However, your proposed event has to be engaging and accessible for the wider community, and deliverable from a logistical, health & safety, and financial point of view.
We can help find you a venue and take care of marketing and ticketing etc. We also have a small amount of funding to support events and activities.
We would prefer if your proposal is original and not a repeat event. We are unable to accept applications from political parties and successful event applications need to adhere to the values of the festival. All events must take place during our festival period in March either as public events in Belfast and/or online and should be as accessible as possible, preferably free. Events should also be creative and imaginative with your audience encouraged to participate in debate and discussion.
We can provide further information and advice on these guidelines as required. For inspiration about possible events, check out our previous festivals in our history website pages. Look out for the Call for Events every autumn when publicised in our newsletter and social media posts and help us deliver this unique festival.