Imagine Festival: Christopher Ward: Model Strangers

This March, we are delighted to welcome Imagine Festival to The Crescent for a series of events.

In the summer of 2023 Christopher Ward had an idea. It was simple: he would approach strangers on the street and ask them if he could take their portrait. 

Eighteen months later this simple idea – Model Strangers – has become a global phenomenon with over a million followers on Instagram, hundreds of thousands more on YouTube and TikTok and extensive international media coverage. During the conversations he has had with strangers mostly on Belfast streets, recording inspiring life-affirming conversations, he has demonstrated our common humanity and acts of kindness.

Join us for this presentation and interview with leading journalist, Amanda Ferguson, when Christopher will discuss his work and some of the Model Strangers he has recorded.

Christopher Ward is a photographer and videographer originally from South Africa and now based in Northern Ireland. He has gained a huge social media following for his authentic encounters with strangers on the street, combining portrait photography with real conversations.

Imagine Festival is Belfast Festival of Ideas and Politics which takes place in Belfast every March and presents a unique way of imagining the future of this great city — and the wider world. They present high-quality showcases for the discussion of contemporary political and societal issues including new ideas on politics, culture and activism from some of the world’s leading contemporary thinkers.

But it’s not all brain-melting policy discussions: there’s something for everyone in the form of exhibitions, humour, family events, music, theatre, tours, workshops and film and whatever else they can find to fire your imagination. Visit ImagineBelfast.com to discover more.