From 12 October to 1 November, the acclaimed Belfast International Arts Festival (BIAF) will showcase the best of Northern Ireland and international arts through a programme of events featuring dance, music, theatre, film, visual arts and discussion, most of which will be hosted online.
BIAF20 will open with the premiere of a new online and interactive theatrical production of Macbeth by Big Telly, a world leader in live digital theatre. This imaginative reboot of Shakespeare’s timeless, blood-soaked tale will be performed live on Zoom.
Another dramatic highlight will be The University of Wonder & Imagination by Cahoots NI, a fun-filled, immersive theatrical experience for families. It is an hour-long interactive digital theatre production that allows audiences to effectively direct the performance, based on their interaction with the performers.
The renowned Portuguese artist, Pedro Penim, will livestream Doing It, a virtual journey across his ‘island collection’, exploring these hidden places and his secret obsession with our planet’s remote islands.
The festival also presents a great programme of music including exclusive recitals and concerts. Madrigals at the Museum will showcase the work of Claudio Monteverdi, and the Belfast Ensemble will attempt to reinvent Beethoven in their new work, Septet (for four).
BIAF20 will screen the world premiere of Call Nina!, which follows the making and touring of ‘Nina – A Story About Me and Nina Simone’, by British actress and activist, Josette Bushell-Mingo.