Derry to ‘think outside the box’ with hosting of Unusual Suspects Festival

Derry is set to co-host a festival with a difference aimed at building unlikely connections for social change through social innovation.

The Unusual Suspects Festival, from October 12-14, has been described as a “festival of ideas, solutions and debate.”

It will aim bring together local organisations and some of the world’s experts in social change to seek new and imaginative ways to improve people’s lives and tackle some of society’s most pressing challenges.

All events are free and the organisers are encouraging members of the public to make their views heard as part of the drive for more open and participative democracy.

The festival, being co-hosted with Belfast, has been held previously in London and Glasgow by the Social Innovation Exchange and it’s being brought to both cities by the Building Change Trust, an organisation charged with developing and promoting innovation within the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in Northern Ireland.

Paul Braithwaite, who heads up the Trust’s work in Social Innovation, said he hoped the festival would inspire fresh thinking and encourage collaboration between government, the private sector and the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector.

He said: “Social Innovation is all about bringing together people from different disciplines to find novel ways to solving social problems such as poverty, rural isolation and improving health, as well as a wide range of others.

“The Unusual Suspects Festival is a festival of ideas and collaboration to solve some of the most pressing challenges.

“Thinking outside the box and being innovative comes naturally to people in Northern Ireland.” “ It will launch the Holywell Trust in Bishop Street in Derry on October 12 with discussions on innovative approaches to social inclusion.

Photo shows Social entrepreneur Roger Warnock, Sharon Polson from the Department for Communities and Paul Braithwaite from the Building Change Trust, launching the festival.