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Date: 26 May 2026
Belfast’s critically acclaimed, immersive live music and spoken word production North Star is set to make its US debut at the Irish Arts Center (IAC) in New York City from 3-21 June 2026, thanks to support from Belfast City Council and the British Council.
Conceived as part of the Belfast 2024 programme by Belfast creative Kwame Daniels, North Star is a boundary pushing production, rooted deeply in Black cultures and inspired by the historic 1845 visit of legendary abolitionist and orator Frederick Douglass to Belfast who famously declared: "Wherever else I feel myself to be a stranger, I will remember I have a home in Belfast."
First staged at the Telegraph Building during Black History Month 2024 as part of the Belfast International Arts Festival with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Belfast Stories and Ulster University, the production was also inspired by engagement with almost 100 pupils from four schools in Belfast, along with residents and communities. The New York run is co-produced by Irish Arts Center and Solab, in association with Belfast’s Lyric Theatre.
Belfast Deputy Lord Mayor Councillor Paul Doherty said: “We’re so proud that our investment in North Star through Belfast 2024 has led to this New York debut – it’s the ideal opportunity to showcase our city’s creative brilliance and highlight why Belfast is a UNESCO City of Music. We’re also very grateful to our partners the British Council who have helped make this a reality. It’s the first of what we hope will be a host of very positive outcomes from our five-year Memorandum of Understanding to boost Belfast’s international cultural profile and create new opportunities for artists, cultural organisations and communities to connect globally.
“Kwame Daniels has played a master stroke in assembling this incredibly talented team to reimagine traditional theatre and seamlessly fuse hip-hop, jazz, gospel, electronic, and classical music with provocative spoken word poetry and live choral arrangements. US audiences can expect a real treat – and I hope that their experience encourages them to visit Belfast in person, perhaps later this summer, as we host the Fleadh Cheoil for the first time this August.”
Colm McGivern, Director, British Council Northern Ireland added: “North Star is a gift from Northern Ireland to New York City this June. Under the visionary direction of Kwame Daniels, this powerful production brings Frederick Douglass vividly into the present, shaping a story that speaks compellingly to belonging, identity, and the gritty spirit of Belfast. It stands as a testament to the transformative power of the arts. The British Council is proud to support the North Star team on this journey, alongside Belfast City Council as part of our ongoing partnership, and in collaboration with the Lyric Theatre Belfast, Irish Arts Center New York, and other valued partners. We wish the company every success; North Star is inspirational.”
Creative Director Kwame Daniels said: "North Star is a lifetime’s work that brings together all that I am passionate about - connection, creating and collaboration. The energy of this international cast, which blends the raw talent of young voices from both sides of the Atlantic with premier contemporary musicians, honours Douglass’s vision of unity and global solidarity in a way that feels urgent and alive today."
Jimmy Fay, Executive Producer, Lyric Theatre Belfast said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the Irish Arts Center, New York, on two exciting projects this summer, including Kwame’s brilliant work, North Star. Touring is such an important way to connect with and share our stories with new audiences in the US and beyond. North Star is a uniquely Northern Irish story, inspired by the speeches abolitionist Frederick Douglass made in Belfast in 1845, a place where he would always feel at home: "I will remember I have a home in Belfast." It is a timely provocation to audiences to reflect on that feeling of belonging and openness.”
More than a historical retelling, North Star is a modern celebration of Belfast's anti-slavery heritage, highlighting the transatlantic synergy between Irish and Black creative movements and connecting historical human rights struggles to today's global push for social justice.
The world-class creative team behind the production includes Grammy Award winner Kaidi Tatham, Northern Irish-Ghanaian artist Winnie Ama, rap dynamo Leo Miyagee, Mercury Prize-nominated Hannah Peel, musical directors Jennifer John and Si Francis and award-winning poet Nandi Jola and actor Colin Salmon.