Debate, Poetry And Theatre For Electric Picnic’s Mindfield

This year’s MindField line-up at Electric Picnic has been announced, with a series of debates taking place around the theme of Africa: The Rising Continent. The massive programme consists of challenging debate, inspiring poetry, literature and theatre, mind-boggling science and a cúpla focail as Gaeilge. Fergal Keane Talks Africa will be the centrepiece and will consist of a series of interactive debates about the past, present and future of the continent and its people. It will be hosted by the acclaimed author and BBC journalist together with Ugandan publisher and journalist Andrew Mwenda and a diverse panel of experts in economics, technology, development and the arts from Africa and Europe. The Leviathan debates, hosted by economist and author David McWilliams, responds to the threats to human rights defenders in Africa and beyond and will explore how surveillance technologies have become the new weapons of war. The expert panels will also “take a long hard look at our fetish for technological solutions to societal problems and ask whether smart cities will create smart societies”. Technology’s positive potential is also explored with two new elements to MindField: CoderDojo -the open source movement of free computer coding clubs for young people and Kevin Godley of pioneering music video duo Godley and Crème will demonstrate his groundbreaking musical platform Whole World Band with live performances beamed in from around the world with Rodney Orpheus and Nigerian-Irish rapper Simi Crowns. In the afternoons, the provocative History Ireland Hedge School returns to ask was World War I: a Great War or a good war and as Sunday morning breaks through, Miriam O’Callaghan will host the riotous assembly that is the Electric Picnic Brunch with comedians, journalists and performers from among the tired and emotional of Stradbally’s fields. The Word Stage will feature a wealth of poetry, slam and musical talent including Canadian poet and rapper C R Avery, Cúirt Literary Festival Showcase, The Mary Coughlan Band, Ka Tet and Mojo Gogo, while the Theatre Stage, programmed by Dublin Theatre Festival’s Willie White, presents a series of festival-fit performances from some of Ireland’s most exciting artists. An Puball Gaeilge has its biggest ever programme of wild Irish language events including Hector Ó hEochagáin hosting 70s porn karaoke, as well as music, poetry, theatre debate, burlesque, standup comedy and food. Full programme details will be available shortly at http://www.leviathan.ie and at http://www.electricpicnic.ie.