Stormont’s Senate Chamber, originally designed as debate chamber similar to the House of Lords at Westminster, is set to take on a new purpose next week at a unique event.
‘Nothing at Stormont’ being held on Thursday 5th December, doesn’t have an agenda or speakers. Instead, people attending the Senate Chamber are being encouraged to use the space to do nothing as a moment of pause, protest and possibility.
The event has been organised by Daisy Chain Inc as part of the Belfast 24 programme and is the latest in a series of Nothing moments designed to explore the power of Nothing.
Speaking ahead of the event, Jonny McEwen from Daisy Chain Inc said;
“Originally modelled on Westminster’s House of Lords, the Senate Chamber at Parliament Buildings is now used for Committee meetings. Where better for people to consider the possibilities that come from doing nothing that a space designed for debate and discussion!
“While people might see Nothing at Stormont as a tongue in cheek event, there is a very important message at its core. The way we live is unsustainable, for our own health and that of the planet. In that context, doing nothing is a radical act of protest, against busyness and burn out – it’s a call for the urgent necessity of doing less.”
“Hosting the event at the Senate Chamber at Parliament Buildings allows us to push the idea of doing nothing as a form of protest even further. By being in what is effectively the seat of power in Northern Ireland, we hope to reach and inspire even more people to challenge the status quo by celebrating the power and possibilities of pause. Maybe like Archimedes who discovered the principle of buoyancy when at rest, we can inspire people to have their own ‘Eureaka’ moments.”
Nothing at Stormont follows a highly successful Nothing Day and Nothing Conference held last month which encouraged people to come together to explore the ideas and moments that nothing can create.
To register for Nothing at Stormont, Thursday 5th December, 7pm – 9pm, visit: https://www.nothing-really-matters.com/