As the region confronts record hate crime, a Belfast festival is opening space for truth, compassion and healing during Hate Crime Awareness Week.
Voicing the Void, a local social enterprise, will stage its first Restorative Storytelling Festival, entitled Acts of Survival, from 11-18 October 2025, using theatre, workshops, film and dialogue to give a platform to marginalised voices.
The Community Relations Council supports the event through its CR/CD Small Grants Scheme.
With 22 events across the city, the festival brings together theatre, storytelling, dance, supportive wellbeing workshops, and more.
Festival Highlights:
Restorative Acts: Stories on Stage – a powerful evening of eight short plays created through restorative storytelling projects.
Radicalgorithm – a thought-provoking short documentary by filmmaker Colm Teague questions the ethics of social media algorithms that prioritise attention over safety, fuelling hate, radicalisation, and discrimination.
Wellbeing Workshops – from Kintsugi pottery to collage-making, qigong, mindfulness, and breathwork, these creative sessions offer space for reflection, healing, and connection.
Sacred Rave – an alcohol-free evening of ritual dance, music, and movement in one of Belfast’s most iconic Gothic spaces.
A Festival of Courage and Connection
“This festival is about courage and compassion, amplifying voices too often silenced, celebrating creativity, and showing how storytelling can be a catalyst for healing and change,” said Rory Doherty, founder of Voicing the Void. “At a time when hate crime is at its highest on record, we need more than ever to create spaces where stories break down barriers and remind us of our shared humanity.”
A key part of that commitment is accessibility. All events are ticketed on a three-tier pricing system, allowing people to pay what they can afford. This ensures the festival is open to everyone, reinforcing the belief that the arts should be a space where all voices can be welcomed and heard.
The festival has been made possible through the dedication of partner organisations, individual artists, and the Voicing the Void community. It is a collective act of courage and compassion, reminding us that every story matters and every voice has the power to inspire change.
Attend the Event
The festival is supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, UnLtd, Belfast Police and Community Safety Partnership, the Community Relations Council, the Public Health Agency Clear Project, and Established Coffee.