SPECIAL GUESTS INCLUDE
Alfie Bown is a Lecturer in Digital Media at Royal Holloway University London. He is a founding editor of 1968 Press and his journalism has appeared in Tribune, New Statesman, Paris Review and the Guardian. His other books include The Playstation Dreamworld and Post-Memes: Seizing the Memes of Production.
Phil Harrison is an author and filmmaker based in Belfast. His debut novel, The First Day, was published internationally in 2017. He has just completed his second. Previously he wrote and directed a number of award-winning short films, including Even Gods (2011) and On Going Home (2015), and a narrative feature drama (The Good Man, 2012), which screened internationally and was released by Soda Pictures in 2014.
Teresa Livingstone is a musical comedian and a classy lady, at least she tries to be, despite everything life throws at her as a 40-something Northern Irish woman.One of Northern Ireland’s top comedy acts and a skilled pianist and singer, she recently starred in her own BBC Sounds six-part series Tell Teresa and was previously seen on BBC’s The Blame Game, Soft Border Patrol and Late Licence.
Elliott Morgan is an American stand up comedian, actor, writer, host, producer and YouTube personality. He was a co-host of the YouTube channel SourceFed and is one half of The Fundamentalists.
Julie Reshe is a philosopher, practicing negative psychoanalyst, and public intellectual. She is currently a visiting professor at University College Cork and University College Dublin. She is also a Director of the Institute of Psychoanalysis at the Global Centre for Advanced Studies and author of Negative Psychoanalysis.
Helen Rollins graduated as top student in Corpus Christi College at Cambridge University, with a double first in modern languages. She was also a boursière étrangère at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Lyon. At twenty-two, she taught French language, film and literature at Eton College, leaving that post two years later to work as a filmmaker. In her cinematic work, she explores ideas of desire, repression and loss. She has a particular interest in psychoanalysis, continental philosophy and film and literature from the French and Spanish-speaking world. She is one of the presenters of the theoretically cutting edge podcast The Lack. Although a distant relative, we met for the first time in 2016 and quickly became very close collaborators, working on various film projects together. The latest is an experimental philosophical documentary called A Guide to Making Love, which will be shown at the festival.
Barry Taylor is a theologian-philosopher, musician, artist, academic and writer who has spent more than thirty years challenging traditional notions of religion and church and creating alternative communities built on the idea that life is uncertain, the future is unwritten and that none of us has the answer. Barry's work collapses the boundaries between the sacred and the profane, blurs the lines between theism and atheism and raises new questions about life, death and everything in between.
Pádraig O Tuama is a poet and theologian whose work centers on themes of language, power, conflict and religion. Pádraig presents Poetry Unbound and was named Theologian in Residence for On Being, in recognition of his work in bringing art and theology into public and civic life. Pádraig has published numerous books and his work is featured widely in places such as Poetry Ireland Review, The Academy of American Poets and On Being. From 2014-2019 he was the leader of the Corrymeela Community, Ireland’s oldest peace and reconciliation community.
Duke Special is one of Ireland’s most dynamic, musically ambitious & theatrical musicians. With his inimitable style of beautifully bruised romanticism, Duke Special creates a surreal, vaudeville-esque world that is dark while being infused with hope and joy. Best known for his platinum selling album “Songs from the deep forest,” he has also sung with The Muppets, written and performed the music for Deborah Warner’s critically acclaimed production of Brecht’s Mother Courage at London’s National Theatre, presented a documentary on Ruby Murry and created music for the New York MET's exhibition on the photographers Stieglitz, Steichen, and Strand (which he also performed there).
Adam Turktington is my partner in crime with Wake. He also heads up Seedhead Arts, an organization that specializes in creative production and training services. He has decades of experience in festival based programming, Street Art, magic, children's workshops and creative industries training. He is a founding member and chair of Vault Artists Studios, and was an early influence on the development of Transformance Art.
2ND - 6TH JUNE
Located in the cultural heart of Belfast (voted World’s Best Region for Tourism in 2017 by Lonely Planet) and spread over a variety of historical venues, Wake is a five-day transgressive festival that mixes the best in incendiary intellectual exploration with underground art, music, magic, comedy, cabaret, tours and talks to forge an experience that embodies the destabilizing essence of pyrotheology.
Named after the Irish funeral ritual, Wake is a pop-up community that creates a space for radical ideas and personal rupture. It brings together a ragtag collection of dissidents, heretics, fools and fundamentalists from all over the globe. People who want to spend five days forging friendships, bidding farewell to old gods, and learning how to affirm life in all its dirt and depth.
cost
It’s a difficult financial climate, so we’re trying to keep the cost as low as possible. Hence we’re keeping the ticket price the same as 2021 (with an early bird ticket available until 31st August). However, we don’t want to compromise on the program (in fact, we’re wanting to expand it), so for those of you who can afford it, we have a $100 bolt-on, which includes a breakfast hangout on the Friday morning after the event, where Adam and I will cook you a fancy breakfast, feed you mimosas and entertain you at my place. It’ll be the perfect way to get rid of your post-festival hangover, and the extra money will all be poured into the program.
What are the dates?
Wake starts on the evening of 2nd and ends at midnight on 6th June (with the bolt-on breakfast happening on 7th).
What should I expect?
This is a boutique festival carefully crafted to help inspire you, challenge you, and enrich your experience of life. I'll be there speaking, facilitating discussions and answering questions. But I'll also be curating the other content; bringing in academics, artists and activists who will help to create an immersive and life affirming environment. In addition to all the music, magic, and art, there will be plenty of pub conversations, tours, talks and laughter.
What’s included?
Included in the ticket price is admission to everything across the five days of Wake. Everything else is up to you.
Should I extend my stay?
Absolutely. There’s loads to do in Ireland, and many of the people who attend the festival stay longer. So there’s always a group from Wake up for additional mischief after the event.
What happens if I pay but can't go?
Because we base the program directly on the budget, we are unable to offer refunds, however we can offer credit toward future Wake festivals.
What are my transportation options?
The closest airport is the George Best City (BHD). It’s a 5 minute bus or taxi ride into the city (both can be found right on the doorstep of the airport (Uber also operates in Belfast). The other local airport is Belfast International (BFS). There is a bus at the airport that takes you directly into the city. From there, you can walk to the area where everything takes place. Dublin airport (DUB) is also a great option as flights there are often cheaper. It’s just under 2 hours from Belfast and there’s a bus outside the exit that will take you up (some of the buses don't take credit cards, so buy your ticket in advance or use either Euros or Sterling).
Where should I stay?
Belfast is packed with great accommodation. There's a fantastic and every growing range of options from the basic to the luxurious. And all at very reasonable prices. You can look for an apartment in the Cathedral Quarter (St. Annes Square is a great spot), or book into one of the many local hotels. Our recommendations are: The Premier Inn or the Ramada Encore for budget options (there are a few Premier Inns, so make sure you're booking the one located in the Cathedral Quarter), Bullitt for a very stylish and cool mid-price option, and The Merchant if you want to make your stay that little bit more special.