SPECIAL GUESTS INCLUDE
Alfie Bown is Senior Lecturer in Digital Media Culture and Technology in the Department of Digital Humanities. His research focuses on psychoanalysis, digital media and popular culture. His books include Dream Lovers (Pluto, 2022), an investigation into dating apps, sexbots and virtual relationships, Post-Comedy (Polity, 2024), Post-Memes (Punctum, 2019) and The Playstation Dreamworld (Polity, 2017), a psychoanalytic study of video games which is available in Spanish, Portuguese, Serbian, Slovak and many other languages. Currently, he is working on the relationship between psychoanalysis and cybernetics. He is also editor of Everyday Analysis, a pamphlet house and monthly talk series and is a writer/producer for The Magician's Niece.
Nicole’s martial arts career spans 24 years. She currently holds the rank of 5th degree black belt.and placed 4th in fighting in the women’s division of the world championships.Nicole’s presentation style is a combination of live demos, humorous stories, and analysis on the mind and spirit connections of martial arts, including psychoanalytic theory.
Duke Special has released 17 albums and EPs, toured all over the world and has been involved in a diverse array of other projects, including writing the music for Deborah Warner’s critically acclaimed 2009 production of Mother Courage and Her Children at London’s National Theatre and being commissioned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to write a series of original songs based on photographs for their exhibition of the photographers Stieglitz, Steichen and Strand.
Kevin Crouse is an emerging church practitioner, community creator, social entrepreneur and coffee professional. He continues to reach back into his fundamentalist origins and teaches at Grace Christian University a course now named, “Ministry After Postmodernity.” He is currently exploring what it might mean to lean into a Metamodern Christianity influenced by ideas of Pyrotheology.
Bethany Garner is a longtime improv performer with ComedySportz in Portland, Oregon, where she plays, referees, and teaches. She’s also performed with ComedySportz theaters across the country and in the UK. Bethany believes improv is more than comedy—it’s a life practice that builds presence, mindfulness, and self-discovery, both onstage and off. She will also happily discuss all things Taylor Swift at any time.
Anwyn Howarth is a filmmaker and producer based between Australia and the Netherlands. Her research-led practice projects stories at the overlap of social, historical, and economic webs, unpacking themes of home, displacement, and identity. A graduate of Design Academy Eindhoven, her installation and documentary project Moving House was a speculative relocation of a Queenslander house to the Netherlands, interrogating colonial histories and contemporary notions of property and belonging. Alongside her artistic work, Anwyn has contributed to the DAE Lecture Series Committee and the Student Housing Crisis Committee. She is the director of Bracket Studio, a digital production house, and works as assistant producer at Studio Alexandre Humbert.
Cadell Last is a philosopher with a background in anthropology, history and complexity studies. He is the founder of Philosophy Portal and the author of Global Brain Singularity; Sex, Masculinity, God; and Enter the Alien.
Sawyer Macres is a filmmaker, improv performer, and community organizer. He has a background in philosophy and psychoanalysis and runs a group called Negative Space in Colorado, U.S. which - he claims - is his failed attempt at pyrotheology in practice.
Leonie McDonagh is founding member and director of ponydance, with a focus on marrying comedy and dance theatre. In 2014 she was choreographer in residence at the American Dance Festival and was associate artist at the MAC, Belfast. Leonie studied dance at Middlesex University, Sallynoggin College and London Contemporary Dance School. She has been granted several bursaries in professional development from Arts Council Ireland and Northern Ireland. In 2016 she was commissioned by Belfast International Festival to make her first solo show, which was supported by Belfast City Council and presented at Holland Dance Festival. With ponydance, she has produced numerous full scale productions. She also works as a facilitator for community projects in dance, movement and as a freelance choreographer and performer.
Thomas Prothero is a songwriter, and former worship leader. His work as a session musician has allowed him to play on some of the world’s biggest stages, and collaborate on songs featured on radio and TV. His debut solo album Unhappy To Be Here is a collection of songs contending with faith, contradiction, relationships, and the general apathy of existence.
Julie Reshe is a Ukrainian philosopher who has developed a theory and technology under the name of negative psychoanalysis. She is a professor at the School of Advanced Studies (SAS) at the University of Tyumen in Siberia, and director of the Institute of Psychoanalysis at the Global Center for Advanced Studies (GCAS).
Helen Rollins is a writer, filmmaker and public intellectual who has worked on various award-winning projects. She lectures and writes across topics related to film and psychoanalysis. She has been a co-host on two philosophy podcasts and has a book on film theory (Psychocinema) with Polity.
Barry Taylor is writer, speaker and public intellectual as well as the chair of theology for GCAS .His work focuses on the intersections between religion, theology and culture, with a particular emphasis on the impact and interplay of contemporary digital life on religion and belief (particularly Western Christianity).
Tickets
All my Patrons get $20 off, if you’re a Blaze supporter, you get $80 off and Inferno get $200 off, if you can’t access the discount, just message me.
17th - 21st May
Located in the cultural heart of Belfast, Wake is a five-day transgressive festival that mixes the best in incendiary intellectual exploration with underground art, music, magic, comedy, 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.
What are the dates?
Wake starts on the evening of 17th May and ends at midnight on 21st May (with the bolt-on breakfast happening on 22nd).
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.. There will also be at least one dinner and some drinks. Everything else is up to you. There is also a bolt on breakfast on the Friday morning. This includes an Ulster Fry, mimosas and gifts at my place, overlooking the city.
Should I extend my stay?
Absolutely. It’s a very busy time in Belfast, with various festivals taking place before and after Wake, and there are always people hanging around afterwards.
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?
There are lots of great spots to stay in the area, from the basic to the luxurious. And all at very reasonable prices. You can look for an apartment in the Cathedral Quarter, or book into one of the many local hotels. My recommendations are:
An apartment in the Cathedral Quarter (St. Annes Square is a great spot, as well as Obel Tower)
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
The Merchant, if you want to make your stay that little bit more special