It’s the final countdown. This time next week the Imagine Belfast Festival will be underway and Mags White-O’Kane can almost breathe a sigh of relief. Almost, because until March 30 she and her colleagues will be rushing around visiting as many of the 125 events as possible, in and out of 50 venues checking that everyone, performers and public, are happy.
Hot on the heels of the NI Science Festival, along comes another must-visit event. This is the eleventh year of Imagine Belfast and it’s bigger and better than ever.
So says the director Mags, and looking at the programme she is not exaggerating. She explains: “Seventy per cent are by open submission, individual community groups and then we approach headliners to give the programme balance.”
Take Your Pick
She likes to connect with people and hear their opinions, chat and exchange points of view, to this pocket dynamo it’s a joyous thing. And certainly she has put this to good use with Imagine.
The topics are spread across a vast area - politics, comedy, music, current affairs, even a play group for adults or an intriguing event on March 26 entitled ‘Nothing. A space for people to idle, to linger and to think’. I like the sound of that.
- What happened when I answered a dating ad - Anne HailesOpens in new window
- Men who are victims of domestic abuse don’t need to suffer in silence - Anne HailesOpens in new window
- When Joseph, his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and thousands of Belfast children defied the Troubles in the 1970s: Anne HailesOpens in new window
“I’ve always had an interest in activism in the arts,” says Mags. “As far as I’m concerned all arts are political with a small ‘p’.
“There are very few artists who aren’t motivated by societal and cultural issues and how that comes across, whether it’s by comedy or by music, although I have to say variety is the spice of life.”
By way of example, she says “there are many radical events in the programme alongside improvised group drawing and a James Connolly walking tour”.
Mags began her adventure with Imagine late last October so it’s been head down ever since. She follows in the footsteps of Peter O’Neill who founded the festival in 2014 and although he says he’s happy to be in the audience rather than part of the day to day running, Mags hasn’t let him off the hook. “He cares deeply about the festival, he’s still very involved, he will always be a voice in Imagine and I’m glad he approves the programme,” she says.
As was proved at the recent launch, Mags has a hearty laugh and a great sense of humour despite rising at 6.40am for the school run. Her son and daughter are teenagers and well used to living in a family of artists. Mags’s sister, Shirley-Anne McMillan, is Children’s Writing Fellow at Queen’s University, her mum Liz is learning the ukulele and her grandad made fiddles so there was always music and craic on the go.
Liz, who was advertising manager in the Ulster Star newspaper for 30 years, says that Mags was always an organiser and could sell snow to Eskimos. “I learned that from my mum,” Is Mags’s response.
Enthusiasm Pays Off
She was born in Annahilt and went to Friends’ School Lisburn where she enjoyed the tradition of encouraging literature and the arts and the nurturing atmosphere of cultural diversity with pupils from all over the world.
“I graduated at Coleraine university then went to Ontario, Canada to find work,” she tells me.
Social media is great for some of us, connecting with people, get the word out. But it puts young people under pressure. We use it as a tool, they use it as entertainment
“I discovered the posh Stratford Shakespeare theatre so I walked in, asked for a job and got it. I think they admired my bravery - 20 years of age with no experience and I was suddenly a production assistant.
“The biggest weapon in your armoury is your personality, enthusiasm and a willingness to learn gets results.
“I believe in young people but no-one is teaching them to believe in themselves, no-one’s saying ‘You’re special, you can do that’.
“Social media is great for some of us, connecting with people, get the word out. But it puts young people under pressure. We use it as a tool, they use it as entertainment.
“There’s a lot of comfort and community to be had listening to real people and real things. I believe people in general are good, you’ve only to look around you to see random acts of kindness every day on the streets, it’s actually bred into us to be altruistic whereas people behind social media are there to make money.”
Mags has experienced many working environments as a freelance, a stand-up comedian, a voluntary worker in the community and charity sector, tutoring drama for primary school children and as coordinator for Lisburn’s Island Arts Centre. How does she sum up this latest vibrant venture?
“It’s exciting. Events are wonderful things but they also throw up a series of problems to be solved and thankfully I’ve always loved solving problems. One of the main criteria for an events organiser is someone who loves solving problems.”
No problem to Mags, watch out for her next week.
Details at imaginebelfast.com
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