World-renowned intellectual Noam Chomsky to speak at Belfast Imagine event

The ideas and politics festival, Imagine, is themed ‘Brain Food: A Feast of Ideas for A Better World’.

Now in its ninth year, the week-long festival has over 130 in-person and online events, with a programme of film, humour, talks, music, poetry, theatre, exhibitions, tours, discussion and workshops.

Most events are free and will take place online and in venues across the city.

Noam Chomsky, 94, a philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist, is a Laureate Professor of Linguistics at the University of Arizona and an Institute Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

He is the author of more than 150 books on topics such as linguistics, war, and politics. Ideologically, he aligns with anarcho-syndicalism and libertarian socialism.

Chomsky will discuss threats to modern democracy and progressive politics in an online event with NI journalist Alan Meban on Saturday, March 25.

Other keynote speakers will include: American political scientist Francis Fukuyama; British environmentalist Jonathon Porritt; Belfast poet Medbh McGuckian; campaigner George Monbiot; visual artist Colin Davidson: journalist Sally Hayden and satirist Oliver Callan.

The festival will also examine the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and the run up to the local government elections. A special ‘Democracy Day’ strand on March 24 will focus on citizen activism and the role of local change-makers.

Other events will examine keynote issues such as how to stop violence against women; the transgender issue; climate change; the prospect of a united Ireland; Scottish Independence; regeneration initiatives and poverty themes.

Leading commentators such Professor Linda Bauld will consider how to prepare for the next pandemic and Professor Jon Tonge will discuss why we have so much political instability in Northern Ireland.

Commenting on this year’s programme, Festival director and founder, Peter O’Neill said: “This year’s programme is jam-packed with a diverse range of events that will cater to a variety of tastes.

"Our events will nourish the mind and provide food for thought in this volatile world. We aim to put the fun into politics with lots of humour, performance and discussion.

There are many notable events in the programme including a politics quiz, a poetry and politics pub tour, and a special ‘Poetry and Politics’ performance, hosted by William Crawley, where local politicians will talk about their favourite poems.

Owen McCafferty’s new play, ‘Agreement’ premieres at the Lyric Theatre and examines this landmark moment in the history of Northern Ireland.

Other new productions include Five Days - a new play by Joe Nawaz, and the premiere of Reunion by Julie Dutkiewicz and Kabosh Theatre.

Musicians include legendary performer, John Otway; alternative punks, Wood Burning Savages; the acclaimed Australian song writer, Robert Forster; and a talk by Paul Gorman on the rise and fall of the music press. Comedy is well represented with Tiff Stevenson and Fin Taylor alongside poets such as Henry Normal, Luke Wright, and Clare Pollard taking to the stage.

For more information visit: imaginebelfast.com