Join Queen's researchers from the Climate+ Co-Centre, the Centre for Sustainability Equality and Climate Action (SECA) and the Seamus Heaney Centre for a day of conversations, discussion and poetry.

A morning of facts and feeling uncovering the spoiled - what's broken, what's been lost and what's at stake. An afternoon of Stirring up ideas - rethinking, reshaping and rehearsing what might come next, concluding with a Song - creative writing and poetry celebrating commitment, courage and convivial resistance.

Supported by Climate + and SECA

10-11am - People, place and planet, the facts and feeling of loss with John Barry & Mark Emmerson in conversation.

11am-12pm - AI and Activism - what does the science say? Building tools for community voices with Cat Jones.

An ode from a dead poet to a dying lough with Cat Jones

Facilitated sessions to co-design real interventions, blending art, science, community, and provocation.

Themes could include:

“Decolonising the Drainage” – nature, rewilding and river truth-telling (with Seb Bonoit, Chloe Brown and Xavier Badham)

“The Sin of Silence” – storytelling, whistleblowing, and art as accountability (Cat Jones, Emma McKeever & Rebecca Hunter)

“Feeding the Future” – food systems repair via social farms and gardens and community growing spaces (Biruk Sahle and Karl Vidamour)

Join acclaimed poet and environmental activist Emma Must for a creative workshop exploring how poetry can respond to and reflect the natural world. Drawing on ecopoetry and lived experience, Emma will guide participants in writing that engages deeply with place, nature, and climate. No prior poetry experience needed—just curiosity and care.

Emma Must is a poet living in Belfast since 2011. She is passionate about the natural world and was formerly a full-time campaigner on environment and development issues. Emma completed a PhD in English (Creative Writing) at Queen’s, focusing on ecopoetry and ecocriticism.

Join us for a workshop in how to creatively write about the natural world.

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From tech giants to environmental orgs, companies hold vast oceans of data — about how we live, move, consume, and how nature responds. But who is this data for? And how can it actually help us tackle the climate crisis?

This lively panel explores the power and responsibility of data-rich organisations, asking how insights from both nature and technology can be used for public good, climate action, and a fairer future. Bring your curiosity (and your questions for the algorithms).

Native Coffee are about more than just serving coffee, they host a variety of independent businesses and artists from Belfast and across Northern Ireland. They have built their community on coffee, connection and creativity - check out their Climate Cafes & Sober Socials.

They’re going to be serving hot drinks through the day.

Bakari Bakery are a family-run artisan bakery in Belfast, Northern Ireland. 

Inspired by Scandinavian baking traditions, we strive to bring the people of Belfast delicious baked goods using local, organic ingredients where possible and imported organic where necessary.

They’re supplying our beautiful pastries each day.

Rather than bringing food trucks onto our site, we would love if you would support our food neighbours - the local businesses who serve up amazing food from pizzas to bagels, from lebanese to cheese - we’re spoiled, so please support them.

Deerah, The Boxing Hare, Bodega Bagels, Mikes Fancy Cheese .. don’t forget the Watson food hatch!

Our favourite bar in Belfast just happens to be our neighbour too & have been an important part of our events during our time on the Belfast Stories site. During the festival the Sunflower Pub will be our bar partner during the evening events on the site.

http://www.sunflowerbelfast.com/