THE north's first-ever festival of ideas and politics is to be launched in Belfast today.
The Imagine! 2015 festival aims to encourage political debate, particularly among people who are under-represented in political life. The seven-day festival will run between March 9 and 15.
Artist Rita Duffy, broadcaster and commentator Steve Richards and financial columnist Philip Coggan will be among the speakers at the festival.
Other contributors include former Alliance Party leader Lord John Alderdice, writer Susan McKay, pictured, and academics from Queen's University and Ulster University. The festival includes showings of classic films including Stanley Kubrick's Dr Strangelove, discussions and workshops and lectures on topics including migration into Northern Ireland and gender quotas in politics.
Founder and festival director, Peter O'Neill said most of the events are free and take place across Belfast. "More than ever, our society needs to cultivate a culture which provokes imaginative ideas and ways of engaging with each other on the big issues of our time," he said. "We want to encourage participation from people not normally involved in political debate and stimulate a discussion on new ideas and activism."
For full listings see www.imaginebelfast.com