Enjoy inspiring poetry readings and settle in for an afternoon of thought-provoking verse.

Nina Quigley, a writer and visual/performance artist from Inishowen, County Donegal, will share poetry from her latest publication, Working for the Mafia: A Bipolar Experience. The book will be on sale at this event.

Elizabeth McGeown, a Pushcart-nominated poet and film artist from Belfast, will read from her powerful poetry exploring themes of feminism, mental health, disability, the body, and neurodivergence.

Tea and coffee will be provided. Bring your own sandwiches.

Enjoy a cup of tea at the Playhouse in Derry~Londonderry for a special launch event, offering the chance to meet some of our festival artists, dedicated staff, and distinguished special guests. This gathering provides a unique opportunity to engage with the creative minds behind the festival.

Afterwards, be sure to purchase a ticket and stay for poetry with the talented Nina Quigley and Elizabeth McGeown.

Join us at the wrap party featuring Kris Marsden, aka Kippysmuse, an alternative folk troubadour from County Down. His delivery is rich and delicate, with lyrics drawn from deep personal emotion.

Also performing is Strange New Places, a Belfast band where queerness and neurodivergence intersect, offering a unique blend of power punk, synth magic, and unabashed strangeness. Enjoy an evening of bold, fun, and captivating performances to celebrate the festival’s conclusion.

Ross Mitchell is a standup comedian who has been entertaining audiences across the Island of Ireland for 12 years.

For the first time ever in Northern Ireland, Ross has been commissioned by Bounce to present a standup comedy show like no other, one with a lineup made entirely of people on the autistic spectrum.

The lineup includes Jordan Robinson, Ash Jones, William Callahan, Rose Coogan, Sam McVea, and Ross himself. These comedians have been performing comedy across the British Isles for years. Some were diagnosed young, others recently as adults. All display the rich diversity and creative ability of autistic people.

This is a film screening of the 2021 play of What I (Don’t) Know About Autism. The play is a sometimes comic, sometimes heart-breaking journey into the world of autism, performed by autistic and non-autistic actors.

Sandra is looking for love. Gordon is seeking acceptance. Simon just wants these parents to stop talking for two minutes so he can get on with teaching their kids. And Casper? Casper is not here.

Inspired by the writer Jody O’Neill’s own experiences with autism, the play celebrates autistic identity whilst offering deeper insight and understanding to non-autistic audiences.

The screening will be followed by a discussion featuring Jody O’Neill, an award-winning autistic writer for theatre and screen, and also a performer and disability advocate; and Hanna Slättne, a Dramaturg, Researcher and Facilitator with practice-based PhD research in storytelling for immersive audio. Hanna received the Kenneth Tynan Award for Excellence in Dramaturgy (2016).

What I (Don’t) Know About Autism is a co-production with the Abbey Theatre, funded by the Arts Council Ireland. For more information visit   aboutautism.ie

Join Open Arts as they take over the Crescent Arts Centre again! Come and watch, or join in and become an honorary member of each group:

• The Open Arts Community Choir
  
• The Monday Players drama group
  
• Luminous Soul dancers with the Mae Murray Teen Hub 
  
• The Creative Writing Group
  

The mission of Open Arts is to inspire and support the creativity and artistic development of disabled people. There is no similar participatory work happening in Northern Ireland with as much ambition and scope, or that uses multiple art forms to work with individuals with such varying disabilities and additional support needs.

Please note that the Takeover happens during two different time slots. The first is at 12:00 pm. The second is at 2:30 pm.

There is a limit of 20 participants at each slot.

The first slot (12:00 – 2:15 pm) will have British Sign Language Interpretation.