Look North Festival 2025
Schedule of events - Saturday 1 March 2025
Bbeyond Performance Monthly
Location: Carlisle Memorial Church, Belfast, BT13 1AB
Time: 12.00pm - 1.30pm
Bbeyond Artist talk
Location: Carlisle Memorial Church, Belfast, BT13 1AB
Time: 2.00 pm - 3.00 pm
Stitching Solidarity: Activism in Textile Art Symposium (Host - Pamela Whitaker)
Location: Birley Building, Enterprise Hub, Ulster University, Belfast Campus,
Time: 4.00pm - 5.00 pm - Performance Paper: Saray Sanchez & Jye O'Sullivan “Threads of Care: Mourning Through Textiles as Collective Political Action”
Time: 5.00pm - 6.00 pm - Paper: Lorna Dillon “The Textiles Turn: Haptic, Embodied and Temporal”
Time: 6.00 pm - 7.00 pm - Bbeyond Performance: Bronagh Lawson “Honouring the Women”
Stitching Solidarity: Activism in Textile Art Symposium
As part of the Look North Festival Bbeyond will hold the February/March Performance monthly on Saturday 1 March starting at 12pm.
Performance Monthlies exist as a free open live art performance space for unconventional dialog through action.They are a living concept of encounter which exists through practice and belongs not only to those who join in but also to those who witness them.
Inspired by Alastair MacLennan, Boris Nieslony, and Black market International, performance monthly encounter shave taken place at least once a month for 17 years since 21 June 2008.
Artist talk - 2pm - 3pm - Keike Twisselmann
This is a free event - for ticket information visit here
Twisselmann used to be one of the artists that had a studio space in Carlisle Memorial Church, North Belfast
A long time Bbeyond member previous co director of Catalyst Arts she is has been performing since 2005. She will talk about her art practice.
Born in Berlin 1967, she was unconditionally admitted to study fine art at the University of Ulster Belfast in 1989, completing her studies 1992 with the Bachelor of Fine Art (Honours) and 1996 with the Master of Fine Art. She also studied philosophy, English literature, politics and law out of interest. She was one of the founding members of Catalyst Arts Belfast. At her studio flat in Carlisle Memorial Church, she organized Belfast’s first art cinema and founded the “provisional German embassy” which gave shelter and protection to anyone and everyone without prejudice.
Her public performances are part of the Troubles Archive.
She now lives and works in Berlin and Belfast.
Look North is a grassroots community festival, delivered by local organisations and celebrating the abundance of culture, heritage, art, history and community that is present in north Belfast. The festival builds on the rich legacy of literary, musical and artistic talent that stems from the north of the city and provides a platform for all who participate. The heritage of north Belfast is the backdrop to the festival providing venues, experiences and stories that make Look North a truly unique festival.
In a world that often denies the right to resist, in this symposium scholars, artists, textile-makers and activists will explore the multifaceted ways textiles can serve as a powerful medium for expressing, documenting, and archiving narratives of resistance. This symposium transcends traditional notions of protest and vocal activism, highlighting the quieter, more subtle forms of resistance that emerge through textile-making practices. We are particularly interested in examining how the imagery of a single thread or the accumulation of small, meaningful actions can weave together into a bold tapestry of dissent.
Stitching Solidarity: Activism in Textile Art Symposium (Host - Pamela Whitaker)
Location: Birley Building, Enterprise Hub, Ulster University, Belfast Campus,
Time: 4.00pm - 5.00 pm - Performance Paper: Saray Sanchez & Jye O'Sullivan “Threads of Care: Mourning Through Textiles as Collective Political Action”
Time: 5.00pm - 6.00 pm - Paper: Lorna Dillon “The Textiles Turn: Haptic, Embodied and Temporal”
Time: 6.00 pm - 7.00 pm - Bbeyond Performance: Bronagh Lawson “Honouring the Women”
Bronagh Lawson is an artist, curator and author based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Developed 10 year Hydrangea project with Adjunct Professor Suellen Semekoiski of School of art institute Chicago. Using contemporary art underpinned with art therapy that acts as healing mechanisms in contentious spaces. Bronagh Lawson is an artist, curator and author based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Developed 10 year Hydrangea project with Adjunct Professor Suellen Semekoiski of School of art institute Chicago. Using contemporary art underpinned with art therapy that acts as healing mechanisms in contentious spaces.
Lawson has developed art projects for artists with learning difficulties and started a campaign for assisted studio space in Belfast as well as won an award from the Alzheimer’s society along with the live and learn team at Ulster Museum for developing an art and Alzheimer’s programme. As well as setting up and running voluntarily an online hub for artist’s and gallery’s.
Conflict Textiles houses a large collection of international textiles, exhibitions, and associated event focusing on conflict and human rights abuses. Conflict Textiles is an Associated Site of CAIN Ulster University.
The collection primarily comprises arpilleras, quilts, and wall hangings, emphasising the struggle for the disappeared and other human rights violations. Exhibitions featuring these textiles have been hosted globally in museums, universities, art galleries, embassies, and community spaces.
Currently, Conflict Textiles is holding a major exhibition entitled “Threads of Empowerment: Conflict Textiles’ International Journey” at Ulster Museum (June 21, 2024 – April 27, 2025). The Symposium ispart of the programme.
The symposium is organised by staff from Ulster University (INCORE), Belfast School of Art (Ulster University) Queen’s University Belfast, Manchester University, University of Galway, University College Cork, the International Association of Women’s Museums, and the Conflict Textiles Trust.
Events for the Stitching Solidarity - Activism in Textile Art Programme run from 1-4 March 2025
The events are taking place in various venues and location and all event are free. Please still register for the events you plan to attend by following this link.
Events will be taking place in QUB, Linen Hall Library, 2RA, Black Box, Ulster University Belfast, Ulster Museum, Guildhall, Tower Museum, Ulster university, Derry.