Arts | Outburst
Outburst Belfast’s Queer Arts Festival Friendly and enthusiastic as always, Ruth McCarthy talks highly of her city as she chats with me on the phone from Belfast. She calls her Laganside home “a vibrant city,” and compares its arts scene to that of Berlin. She should know, as she is the Director of Outburst, one of the most innovative LGBT arts festivals on the island of Ireland. The Outburst Queer Arts Festival started in 2007, with a small group of people sitting around in Belfast, thinking how great it would be to have an LGBT arts festival for the city. Six years later, it has grown to be one of Northern Ireland’s most creative and diverse arts festivals, and as McCarthy explains, it’s a festival “that everyone can enjoy, not just LGBT people”. It returns to the city November 15-23, with yet another vast range of events, from plays to film screenings, as well as public art installations, which
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shine a light on the city’s ‘queer’ side. For a relatively small city, Belfasts’s LGBT and queer arts community has grown so much in recent years, with high-profile venues like the MAC, Black Box and Queen’s Film Theatre having been involved over that time. The festival’s growth has not been without its challenges, however, as Belfast and Northern Ireland are not always known for their progressive and forward-thinking politicans and other cultural leaders. “And in fairness, we’ve had a lot to kick against,” McCarthy quips, making reference to more than just the Troubles. “There’s a lot of fundamentalism and there’s a lot of opposition [against the LGBT community] in government, but there’s also a really thriving arts scene, and many of those people are really bringing [Belfast] out
of that post-conflict era. A lot of people would describe it as a bit ‘Berlin-y’!” Indeed, if there’s one thing Belfast’s queer arts scene should be known for, it’s a sense of community. A lot of people get involved that aren’t necessarily LGBT, as there are many volunteers who support the idea of ‘queer’ arts, which McCarthy explains is about being “more on the edge”. With artists, productions and groups from across Belfast, the rest of the UK, and Dublin taking part in the 9-day festival, Outburst has a range of events that will appeal to everyone, regardless of who they are or where they come from. Dublin’s own Acting Out amateur acting group will perform ‘Gay : Dad’ during the festival, while London’s comedienne Amy Lamé and performance artist Scotty will