On 19th September 2025, Culture Night Belfast returned after a six year gap.
Belfast born electronic music composer Alex Thompson, musician and founder of Beyond Skin, Darren Ferguson with the help of Shakti somatic dancer Helen Oates (living in England) curated an eclectic group of musicians, poets, whirling dancers, meditation practitioners, a choir and bell ringers and a fake cockerel to perform an interpretation of The Orb’s 1989 soundscape 'A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules from the Centre of the Ultraworld' (AHEGPBTRFTCOTU).
The 18-minute performance featured some vocals and sounds that were sampled on the original track played live. This includes singer and songwriter Claire-Louise McBride singing “Loving You” by Minnie Riperton and the VOYPIC NEW2NI Culture Night Choir singing the sample taken from “Slave to the Rhythm” by Grace Jones conducted by singer Amanda St. John. The choir was specially curated for the performance by the organisation VOYPIC that supports young people in care. Many had escaped war and oppressive regimes.
Providing the rhythm to the electronic melodies played on synthesisers by Alex and Darren were percussion maestros Henrique Franco and Slawomir Cichy. On bass guitar Jan Uhrin.
The participatory element of the performance will also invited members of the audience to participate on hand bells.
Mursal Kharoti recited a poem in Farsi during the production whilst during the entire 18 minutes Anna Rüya Ayyildi was in a deep whirling dance with Meala Amin storytelling in mediative movement.
Joining virtually on a video screen broadcasting from France, Fahima Mirzaei. Fahima was the only female whirling dancer in Afghanistan and was due to kick off her biggest tour around the country in 2021. Then the Taliban took over. And she had to escape. BBC Documentary The video of Fahima whirling was filmed by Romu Docrus at Musée Saint-Remi. The video with a version of AHEGPBTRFTCOTU music composed by Alex Thompson was also released.
Special thanks to the Black Box staff, Culture Night Belfast team, MayWe, Daisychain Inc. Aspect Media, Helen Oates, Arts Council NI, Bernard Nevill Family and the kind souls who helped and invested quietly behind the scenes. And of course The Orb for the inspiration.
CULTURE NIGHT BELFAST VIDEO
Film recorded at Musée Saint-Remi, France.
Photos by Kate Donaldson
