The 16th Outburst Queer Arts Festival bringing queer magic to Belfast, supported by National Lottery
16th November, 2022
Outburst Arts, Northern Ireland’s award-winning queer arts organisation, is back with their exciting annual international festival continuing until 19 November in venues across Belfast.
Highlights this year include an artist residency from internationally acclaimed duo Split Britches by Lois Weaver and Peggy Shaw, who are this year’s Elders in Residence. Split Britches is an iconic performance art duo based in New York City, and they are sharing their most recent work, Last Gasp, at The MAC on closing night. They are also meeting with artists and activists throughout the week to make all-generation queer space for conversation.
Don’t miss ‘He’s Perfect’ from Belfast’s Conor Cupples on Friday 18 November at The Brian Friel Theatre. Supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s SIAP development funding, the show explores alt-right radicalisation through a queer lens, and is a comedic yet cautionary parable exploring masculinity, body obsession, and belonging in an increasingly alt-world.
Don’t forget to pick up the latest edition of Catflap, Outburst Arts’ recently launched publication which is a vital platform to celebrate and showcase queer writing. Catflap is a beautifully illustrated publication filled with poetry and creative non-fiction, all edited by poet, Mícheál McCann.
Ruth McCarthy, CEO/Artistic Director of Outburst Arts, commented,
“Through the annual Outburst Queer Arts Festival, we have supported the development of cutting edge queer arts in the city to an acclaimed international level, always ensuring that local LGBTQ+ artists, audiences and communities are at the heart of our ambition to make Belfast a leading hub for queer arts, globally.”
Ruth continued, “The incredible artists in this year’s programme all challenge us in their own ways to reflect and reimagine, remember and regroup. From the beautiful sparky energy of emerging voices to the timeless wisdom of creative elders, we hope that Outburst 2022 offers space to lift your hearts and minds in treacherous times: through shared laughter, righteous rage and remembering the power of our collective queer magic.”
Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, added,
“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is proud to be Outburst’s long-term core funder, thanks to The National Lottery players. This year’s Outburst Festival reminds us once again just what an empowering force the arts can be, as artists transform their experiences into music and story and dance, and we are all invited in. The programme is exactly what you would want from an Outburst festival - strong, confident, bold and challenging – a true reflection of the best of Queer art in Northern Ireland and beyond. Having grown into one of the major showcase events for queer arts on these islands, Outburst has become a champion and an inspiration not just for the arts in Northern Ireland, but for the Queer arts community as a whole.”
The Outburst Queer Arts Festival continues until 19 November 2022. To view the full programme and book tickets visit www.outburstarts.com