North Star NYC
North Star is “a moving, meditative and propulsive 70-minute music and spoken word performance…” Tim Teeman – New York Times
North Star making its US premiere in Irish Arts Center, New York.
Following its acclaimed Belfast premiere, North Star travelled to New York in partnership with the Irish Arts Center, with the support of the Lyric Theatre Belfast. What began as an international presentation of the production became a powerful
cultural exchange, connecting communities across Belfast and New York through music, spoken word and creative writing.
Working alongside the Irish Arts Center’s education team, we delivered a 10-week creative writing programme with 82 students consisting of 10th Graders from Urban Assembly School of Design and Construction in Manhattan and 5 th Graders P.S. Q69
in Jackson Heights. Responding to the question, “Does New York feel like home to you?”, every participant wrote, developed and performed an original poem, culminating in school performances, professional audio recordings and a celebration of their work.
Peer-to-peer learning – Q&A sessions – St Colm’s School Belfast in conversation with students from Urban Assembly School of Design and Construction, New York as part of our Creative Writing Programme.
The programme was carefully designed to provide historical and cultural context, linking the stories of Belfast, Ireland and the African American experience through the life and legacy of Frederick Douglass. Students also connected directly with their peers in Belfast through virtual exchanges, creating meaningful dialogue across communities and continents, demonstrating how North Star can amplify underrepresented voices, foster cross-cultural understanding and create spaces where shared histories inspire new conversations.
Fifteen young writers were selected to perform alongside the professional cast during North Star’s Off-Broadway run, sharing the stage across 18 performances and helping introduce the story of Frederick Douglass to more than 2,500 audience members. Their voices became an integral part of the production, demonstrating the transformative potential of creativity, collaboration and lived experience.
Student performers receiving a standing ovation during North Star’s three week run at the Irish Arts Center, New York.
North Star New York surpassed any preconceptions and hopes we had for the show with coverage from New York Times, TheatreMania and Lighting & Sound America adding to the many surreal moments we experienced. We were also grateful for interviews with Irish Stew and The ShortFuse podcasts, enabling our Creative Director, Kwame Daniels to share the full North Star story, from inception to reception!
Over 2500 people attended North Star within its three-week run at the Irish Arts Center, Off Broadway, during June 2026.
From Belfast to New York, North Star continues to show that arts and culture can bridge divides, celebrate diverse identities and create meaningful connections across generations and communities. Within a particularly tense social and political climate, we have continued building professional networks and cultural linkages now extending across the Atlantic addressing personal and social challenges through creativity, and collaboration.
Several touching testimonials, one reading, “A compelling show with an amazing soundtrack delivered by extraordinary talent. Needs to travel further. Five stars.”
The project has established a model that can be adapted to tell stories from any place, ensuring new voices continue to be heard through creativity, collaboration and performance. We intend to share more stories that intersect African and Irish diasporas so stay close and watch this space!