the imagine!
blog

Collaboration for Change supports grassroots activism and will be hosting two Imagine! events on rethinking money (March 26) and Nordic-inspired system design (March 28).

What if young women and girls could lead the conversation on healthy relationships, shaping a healthier and safer society? That’s exactly what the Brave Belfast Cailíní campaign is doing.

Belfast’s Linen Quarter played a crucial role in its economic and social development and this tour will showcase its historic buildings, industrial heritage and vibrant present.

Northern Ireland has the highest rate of low-paid jobs in the UK, but the Living Wage NI initiative is working to change this by raising awareness, supporting employer accreditation and promoting fair pay to reduce in-work poverty and strengthen the economy.

Historian Dr Robyn Atcheson describes how, behind Belfast’s industrial success, women fought for progress, from activism and education to legal rights and fair work conditions.

Ahead of her tour on 30th March, Emma Casey of Wee Walks Belfast discusses Belfast’s suffragettes, their militant fight for voting rights, their confrontations with political leaders and their lasting impact on electoral reform.

Jinx Lennon describes his journey of discovering his artistic muse, realising the raw power of authentic performance and embracing imperfection as the key to creativity.

Denis Stewart reflects on the turbulent state of the world, the necessity of love and disobedience in resisting its injustices, and the role of gatherings like those at Imagine! 2025 in fostering critical, creative, and hopeful engagement with these challenges.

The vote on the Belfast / Good Friday Agreement was a model for the world but it needs to be improved before another momentous referendum, aka ‘Border Poll’. Rules on campaign finance and the use and abuse of social media urgently need updated. The latter is especially true at a time of Russian interference in Western referendums, as most recently evidenced in the Constitutional referendum in Moldova in 2024.

A reflection by Peter O’Neill, festival founder, marking the 10th anniversary of the Imagine! Belfast Festival of Ideas & Politics.

Beth Bell of Belfast Sustainable Food Partnership talks about the upcoming ‘Belfast Food Stories’ event at Imagine! 2024.

This important question will be addressed at a seminar in Belfast on 15 September marking the International Day of Democracy.

Quintin Oliver discusses Andrew Carnegie – creator of palaces of learning – and the community-owned Carnegie Oldpark Library ahead of his ‘hard hat’ tour on 24th March.

Ahead of the Social Change Initiative’s event at Imagine!, Jeannie McCann writes about meeting an indigenous community who peacefully resisted corporate power and how our taxes can be used as a force for good in the world.

The Imagine! Belfast Festival of Ideas & Politics has launched its full programme of events with Belfast Lord Mayor, Councillor Christina Black and other guests at an event on 2 March in the Grand Central Hotel, sponsored by Linen Quarter Bid.

Meadhbh McIlgorm previews this year’s Imagine! special project ‘Forgotten Spaces’.

Dolores Vischer has always loved tours…

Why Northern Ireland Needs to Think Longer-Term.

Alan Meban talks to Cathy Scullion and Sinead O’Neill Nicholl about Second Collective and their events at this year’s Imagine!

Ahead of their Imagine! event 23rd March, Sheelagh Colclough from the peer led group P³ shares some thoughts.

Alan Meban recently caught up with Hugh Odling-Smee from FilmHubNI who are supporting a strand of films at this year’s Imagine! Festival that explore cancellation and censorship.

A piece by Susan Millar DuMars ahead of her Over The Edge literary reading at the 2022 festival.

Sian Barber on the return of local film classification.

The Alternative Economists’ Mary McManus talks ahead of their 26th March Imagine! event ‘We have a wealth problem!’

Nicholas Whyte speaking ahead of his talk on 25th March.

Alan Whysall presents an edited text of the talk he gave at this 2021’s Imagine! festival.

In advance of Sinéad Gleeson’s much anticipated interview, we are delighted to publish her reflections on the Covid lockdown and a playlist which has distracted her during this time.

Gavin Esler is looking forward to coming to Belfast. He last appeared at Imagine! festival in 2019 at an event called ‘Why Leaders Lie?’

Neil Hegarty surveys the events of a decade from the vantage point of the year 2031 – and observes a scene in which geopolitics, society, and Ireland itself are changed utterly.

Denis Stewart suggests we apply Seamus Heaney’s ‘moral and imaginative quickening’ to the 21st Century.

Fergus Whelan discusses his book ‘May Tyrants Tremble: The Life Of William Drennan (1754-1820)’

Imagine! 2019's mock election posters… what was that all about?

Northern Slant asks: is it time we shifted our horizon on politicans?

David Mountain discusses an overlooked factor in the turbulent politics of recent years.

Dr. Laurence Cox discusses the importance of social movements.

Kat Rezai previews ‘What Does Sex Sell?’

Eileen Walsh previews ‘The Great Big Naked Conspiracy Night’.

Prof. Heather Widdows of Birmingham University discusses the pressure to measure up to the beauty ideal.

As we settle in to a new year, the twin challenges of Trump and Brexit continue to dominate our political and cultural discourse.

Michael Donnelly expands on the thinking behind Dialogue Day at this year’s Imagine! festival.

John McCann, writer of ‘Famla’, talks about why he writes for the theatre.

Tinderbox Theatre Company's Hanna Slättne discusses the challenges of writing for theatre in turbulent times.

Our Festival Director, Peter O'Neill, writes about the need to revitalise Belfast's night time economy and the need for a Night Czar.

Melissa Bailey and Lisa Bowers talk about their forthcoming exhibition 'Dodge'.

Looking at Building Change Trust’s Democracy Day.

We were asked to consider what we considered to be ‘Irishness’.

Do you know your facts from your opinions? Why do those politicians lie all the time?

Where a public jury of citizens of Ireland voted to deport (Saint) Patrick.

A display of three types of imagery — participatory, documentary, and expository.

Philip Orr on 18th Century thinker Francis Hutcheson.

Examining the state of NI’s democracy and the role of civil society within it.

A discussion of the role of the community and voluntary sector in contemporary NI.

The Great Big Politics Quiz returns next month as part of the fantastic Imagine Festival of Ideas & Politics!

Belfast’s festival of ideas & politics returns during 14-20 March 2016 to broaden horizons and puncture preconceptions.

People can re-engage with politics and politicians may be able to break the deadlock.

The results of an online civic engagement campaign conducted by the Imagine! Belfast festival in March 2015.

The role of history and historians in dealing with the past after the Stormont House Agreement.

A short history of election advertising.

A civic conversation on the subject of ‘leadership we need in Northern Ireland’.

At some point we will all have heard someone say something along the lines of “there’s no point in voting”.

Whatever we may disagree about here and other local political blogs, we can all agree that blogging is not a crime.

Your chance to pitch in your top 5 proposals for change.

What is the role of the historian?

Belfast will, for the first time, stage the Imagine! Festival of Ideas and Politics from 9th-15th March 2015.

The problem in Northern Ireland was, in part, majority rule.

The inaugural Imagine! Belfast Festival of Ideas & Politics.

Our democratic systems seem to be ailing and unfit for purpose. There is a sense of ‘dis-ease’.

Imagine this! A brand new festival for Belfast.