Making space for artists to try out new ideas at the festival is one of our Very Favourite Things. And the Brewing showcase is just that, with five piping-hot artists showcasing short extracts from new works-in-progress across theatre, performance, sound and storytelling. 

Each performance lasts between 10-20 minutes, with all artists coming together at the end for an informal chat and feedback session with our audience. The emphasis of Brewing is support and queer critique, creating space for queer artists to get constructive feedback while still making a work, or exploring responses to a certain element of the work. So the audience is as much a part of the event as the artists (participation is not essential, you can just watch.) There will be a short break between each performance.

A relaxed and popular event each year, Brewing is always full of surprises and brilliant ideas, highlighting the depth and creativity of new and established queer talent in the North and beyond. This year we are excited to make space for:

Caitlin Magnall-Kearns  / body fine : Two women, one fat, one formerly fat, attempt to navigate their relationship with each other and with their own bodies in a world desperate for them to shrink.

Christopher McAuley /  Itch : A tender, autobiographical exploration of life with a chronic skin condition

Husk Bennett / (QU) [AV] {OUR}* : An experimental audio visual project that renegotiates ongoing strands of research into contemporary outputs of labour, value and nostalgia.

Rory Jones / Shuttlecock : Commander Linus Faldo has lost contact with Earth, amongst other things. A sci-fi comedy of revelations that are as much about pasts as the future.

Sian Ní Mhuirí /  ÉIRIC (BLOOD FINE) :The Sons of Tuireann is an ancient, Bardic tale about the first murder ever committed in Ireland, and the blood fine (or Éiric) that was set by Lugh Lámhfhada as reparation for it. 

Content Information: As the works are still in development, up-to-date content info will be available here closer to the event. 

Age Guidance: 16+

Duration: 120 mins

Outburst’s in-house journal of new queer writing is back!

We invite you to join us as we celebrate the launch of catflap #4, our annual publication of smart queer writing with a disco heart.
With stunning design from long-time catflap collaborators Other Office, issue four is brimming with new essays, poetry and conversations, edited by poet Mícheál McCann.

This year, we’re excited to launch alongside another publication, photographer Ellen Blair’s Homemade Undercuts: Hair, Identity and Community, a photobook of work from her festval exhibition of the same name (see exhibition page for details).

We’ll be taking over the Black Box for an evening of poetry, readings and performances from contributors and guests across both publications, taking in artists from Belfast, France, Finland, Lebanon and more.

Publications will be on sale on the night and throughout the festival.

Age suitability:  Strictly 18+

Duration: 120 mins

Performances in partnership with British Council, Festival Transform! & Finnish Institute UK + Ireland.

The 4th annual Outburst Queer Art Market is back in town for one day and one day only!

Over the last 4 years, our market has continued to grow, with a record number of sellers and loads of you descending to find treasures out the back of the Sunflower Bar. This year, we’re expanding beyond the beer garden into the Brink! Belfast Stories site (right across the road from Sunflower) to take over a little section of Union Street – bringing together the largest line-up yet of artists selling their work.

The Outburst Queer Art Market hosts some of the best in established and emerging queer makers, photographers, painters, sculptures, knitters, crafters and everything in between.

Whether you’re treating yourself or others in the run up to winter Hell-o-days, make sure to shake out the sofa for change as this is a mostly cash-only event. 

The Outburst Queer Art Market is outside, so be sure to wrap up warm and grab a hot drink from Official Queer Caffeine Enablers Happy Out Coffee on site.

Age suitability: Suitable for all ages

Duration: 4 hours, drop in and out