Help Create New Worlds in Belfast

Éist ’s flagship project, Rewriting the Future, is a science fiction writing program which will use the lessons from the work of Black feminist writer Octavia E. Butler  and Afrofuturism and apply them to an Irish post-conflict context. Our project develops the use of visionary fiction as a tool to build peace and spark creative engagement with the future in post-conflict communities. Through a series of restorative narrative writing workshops and a public reading event, participants will use fantasy as a way to envision new realities and imagine new paths to creating just futures. Our storytelling laboratories will target youth and victim-survivors of the political conflict, and are designed to create space for those who have been marginalized to take control of the narrative of progress in their communities.

Rewriting the Future is an international collaboration between Éist, Diversity Challenges , and Octavia’s Brood . Our program also offers access to ongoing editorial support to interested participants and the potential to be included in the first ever Irish anthology of post-conflict visionary fiction. Our classes will build attendees’ storytelling and writing skills, empower participants, and amplify the voices of those who continue to struggle for justice, accountability, and acknowledgement in the aftermath of political conflict.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Irish government, many of our programmatic costs are covered; we are also able to both ensure that our workshop organizers are paid for their contributions and all attendees can participate free of charge! We are most of the way there, but require additional financial support for international airfare and lodging for our American delegation.

Our pilot project in Belfast is the beginning of a new relationship with both our organizing partners and workshop participants, and we intend to offer similar programs in other locations in Ireland in the future. This is your opportunity to support an innovative and diverse creative arts peace-building project that is truly the first of its kind.

Fundraising for this project is especially challenging as many foundations are not currently supporting peace-building projects, and most grants do not fund international travel. For that reason, we are calling upon our friends and supporters to close our gap by making a donation. Even a small donation will help, and will mean so much to our group! With your support, we will be able to make this project happen. Help us create new worlds in Belfast by donating today! Thank you!