Derry CultureTECH Festival ‘will be huge’
A week-long celebration of digital technology, media and music has begun in Londonderry which will include the Belfast Media Festival.
CultureTECH will feature about 100 events across Derry between 9 – 15 September.
The festival will host games tournaments, art installations and theatre.
“This year’s festival will be huge,” its director, Mark Nagurski said.
“The programme is jam-packed. We tried to do a pilot last year, but we have gone all out this year.
“The local people have taken the reins and are showcasing what they can really do.
“We have got around 1,000 delegates arriving in the city and we have artists that have been painting all their lives. This week, however, they will paint on screen.”
Digital Derry said it hoped the deal with East London’s Tech City Investment Organisation would help them achieve their aim of creating 100 new digital companies in Northern Ireland by 2015.
Mr Nagurski added: “We’ve worked very closely this year with City of London Tech City, The Barbican, YouTube, the New York Philharmonic and the Tate. It’s been a big success in terms of carrying relationships through from last year to this city of culture year.
“The internet cat video festival has caused a lot of interest. These are cat videos from Youtube that people have been watching for years. This time everyone will watch them in a room together. It’s more of a social experiment.”
There will be also a dedicated CultureTECH Junior strand, supported by Seagate, which will be taking over The Venue at Ebrington for three full days.
The rest of the programme takes place throughout the city in bars, coffee shops, retail spaces, clubs, shopping centres, theatres and galleries.
Source: bbc.co.uk
