CQAF2026 - Sunday 10 May Archives

Dead Goat: Album Launch

Posted on 6th February 202619th April 2026 by site_admin

Individually, they are each accomplished artists in their own right. Together, they are DEAD GOAT, a Northern Irish supergroup made up of renowned songwriters, multi-instrumentalists, producers, singers, and long-standing friends.

Stevie Scullion (Malojian)
Stevie Scullion is a songwriter and producer from Lurgan, Co. Armagh. He has been releasing original music for over two decades and has been shortlisted for the NI Music Prize multiple times for his work as Malojian. Along the way, he has collaborated with artists such as Steve Albini, Jason Lytle, Joey Waronker, and The Breeze.

Matt McGinn
Admired by everyone from Christy Moore to Bob Harris, Mourne songwriter and producer Matt McGinn has built a reputation for crafting songs of depth and humanity, delivered in a storytelling voice that is unmistakably his. His collaborations with Paul Brady and Foy Vance see him shaping up to be one of Ireland’s finest writers.

Mark McCausland (McKowski)
Known as being one half of The Lost Brothers, along with collaborations with M. Ward, Howe Gelb, Jolie Holland, and Nick Power (The Coral). He recently composed the score for the feature film The Spin, which is also based on one of his short stories.

Declan McManus
Declan McManus is a drummer from Omagh and has been playing drums in various guises for more than 20 years. He has played and recorded with multiple artists and bands, including The Basement, Malojian, and The Breeze.

DEAD GOAT was born from four musicians being in a room together, chasing nothing more than the joy of each other’s company and music.

What began as casual jam sessions quickly turned into something more. Songs started to form. Before long, they had amassed more than enough material to record a full album. But when they listened back, they realised the demos already were the album, capturing a rare serendipity that can only exist when four friends record a song moments after it is written.

The self-titled debut album, DEAD GOAT, will be released in March 2026 by AV8 Records.

Earth to Alice: Escape Artist (Alice McCullough Work in Progress)

Posted on 13th March 202626th March 2026 by site_admin

She’s coming out of her cage, and she’s been writing new lines…

Once described by Tony Walsh as “A Fred Astaire of Words,” Alice McCullough has come a long way since she made her start performing ‘Alice Fresco’ on the cobble stones of the Cathedral Quarter.

For over a decade she has been winning awards and delighting audiences with various incarnations of her one-woman show, “Earth To Alice,” a candid collection of poems and songs that became her calling card and way to express a painful truth about the isolation of her own struggles with Bipolar Disorder.

Alice has performed internationally, has given a TEDx talk, was Poet In Residence for Disability Rights California, and wrote, directed and starred in a critically acclaimed TV adaptation of her “Earth To Alice” show for BBC.

But in between all of these excitements, she felt trapped. She kept finding herself back in psychiatric hospital. Her career was punctuated by six hospitalisations, stopping and starting more times than a Delorian trying to reach 88 miles per hour.

So what is the next chapter of the “Earth to Alice” story? How did she get unstuck? And what’s with the Delorian? In this brand new collection of poems, songs and spoken word surprises, Alice will share a whole new adventure.

Did you know that the Sistine Chapel of Belfast has no roof? Have you noticed how the starlings above the city are growing in numbers? What does it mean to break free? What does it mean to time travel? What does it mean to escape, and find your place in the murmuration of life?

Alice will share her meditations on the theme of escapism – not just the metaphorical escape we can find through Art and poetry, but also the story of how she herself escaped from psychiatric hospital, went to clown school and learned how to reach beyond the limitations that once held her back.

“Alice McCullough is radiant when she reads her poems – she is one of the rare gems I’ve discovered on my gigging circuits across the waters. Her words cover all corners as she quietly stamps down injustice and concocts poetry potions with equal part sadness and joy. Basically, she’s bloody great.” Hollie McNish

“Mesmerising. Delightfully unforgettable. A true original.” Naomi Shihab Nye

“Great show – fragile but in control, real, and in the moment.” Kevin McAleer

“A sensational new voice. New to me, anyway!” Stephen Fry

“Marvellous.” Michael Longley

“McCullough infuses all of her poems with her love of Belfast, which is enchanting. Poems that are inventive, fresh and with so much heart, it left her audience spellbound.” ★ ★ ★ ★ The Neurodiverse Review (Earth To Alice, Edinburgh Fringe 2022)

“Her presence on stage is as mesmerising as ever. We joked after that we are getting tired of each show we come to getting a standing ovation. Of course, it is a sign of the high watermark of McCullough’s work across the board.” ★ ★ ★ ★ ★The Neurodiverse Review (The Song of The Bones, Lyric Theatre 2022)

Alana Henderson

Posted on 13th March 202617th April 2026 by site_admin

Former CQAF Artist in Residence Alana Henderson makes her long-awaited return to the festival stage with a special full-band performance – her first in over six years.

Offering an intimate preview of her forthcoming album, A Wilderness of Warning – a deeply personal work that asks what it means to be cautioned against experience yet drawn into it all the same.

Known for her distinctive blend of lyrical vulnerability, musical sophistication, and quiet emotional power, Henderson has cultivated a dedicated following. At once personal and universal, her heartful indie folk resonates deeply and lingers long after the last note.

Her forthcoming album A Wilderness of Warning marks a significant and timely return to the solo spotlight sharing songs with depth, clarity and new-found intent that reflects her continued evolution as an artist.

Henry Normal & Jan Brierton

Posted on 12th December 202526th March 2026 by site_admin

Henry Normal and Dubliner Jan Brierton present an afternoon of poetry and laughs.

Henry will be reading poems from his new book ‘A Quiet Promise’ whilst Jans’ poems reflect on being a wife, mother, daughter, sister and retired raver. Expect a highly engaging day of poetry.

Age guide: 14+

Book signing: Jan and Henry’s books will be available to buy on the day and they will be available to sign during the interval and post show.

A Mighty Wind

Posted on 20th February 202626th March 2026 by site_admin

CQAF invites you to a very special screening of Christopher Guest’s mockumentary masterpiece, A Mighty Wind.

Following the passing of the incomparable Catherine O’Hara in early 2026, we gather to celebrate her most poignant comedic turn. As Mickey Crabbe, O’Hara didn’t just deliver jokes; she gave us the “emotional tightrope act” of the decade, perfectly balancing the absurdity of the 60s folk revival with a heartbreakingly real sense of lost love.

Whether you’re a lifelong fan of the “neuftet” sounds of the New Main Street Singers or you just want to see the Folksmen try to find the stage one more time.

Martin Simpson presents…A Celebration of Dick Gaughan

Posted on 6th March 202626th March 2026 by site_admin

An icon of folk music and social justice, Dick Gaughan retired after a career-ending stroke in 2016, but a recent box set R/evolution: 1969/83 has kicked off a major reappraisal.

Following a sold-out tribute concert at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections in January, CQAF is proud to bring together four terrific artists and Gaughan devotees from Ireland, England and Scotland to perform his songs: award-winning singers Siobhan Miller and Róisín Chambers, multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter Barry Kerr and incomparable guitar wizard Martin Simpson, who recorded and performed with Gaughan, one of his key influences.

Expect an evening of exquisite traditional songs, anthems for nature and the common man, tales from the road and unique collaborations. Balm for the soul in dark times – and profits going to Gaughan himself.

2026 Artist in Residence – Eve Belle

Posted on 13th March 202628th March 2026 by site_admin

Eve Belle is a singer-songwriter from Donegal, based currently in Belfast. Their music explores themes of mental illness, queerness, language and identity.

Eve performs original music in English and Irish, and also includes traditional Irish songs in her live performances.

Eve is currently working on a larger project, spending time in the studio and writing. They hope to start releasing new work later this year.

BIEN (British? Irish? Either? Neither?)

Posted on 22nd March 202613th April 2026 by site_admin

Three interconnected exhibitions that seek to address identity in Northern Ireland in a balanced, inclusive and respectful way.

The two solo exhibitions offer focused reflections on two cultural heritages in Northern Ireland, namely Ulster-Scots through abandoned spaces, and the Irish language via its mythical landscapes. These two exhibitions create space for depth, care and celebration, affirming the importance of cultural memory as living, evolving practices.

The group exhibition brings together artists who are either from or based in Northern Ireland, reflecting the reality of a society that has changed profoundly over recent years, offering perspectives that are intimate, critical, compassionate and reflective.

Open Tues-Sat, 11am-5pm, for more information, visit www.belfastexposed.org